The Justice Department has initiated legal action against 18 states and one Georgia county to obtain voter data. These actions are part of a broader litigation effort by the department.
State Lawsuits for Voter Registration Lists
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed lawsuits against 18 states. Most of these states are led by Democratic administrations and were won by President Trump's opponent in the 2020 election. The DOJ is seeking complete, unredacted copies of voter registration lists from these states, including driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.
The stated purpose for these requests, according to DOJ court filings, is to verify state compliance with federal laws concerning the maintenance of accurate voter rolls.
However, a majority of the targeted states have declined to provide the requested information, citing privacy restrictions. The most recent states to face lawsuits from the Justice Department, announced on Friday, include:
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Massachusetts
- Nevada
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon stated, "At this Department of Justice, we will not permit states to jeopardize the integrity and effectiveness of elections by refusing to abide by our federal elections laws. If states will not fulfill their duty to protect the integrity of the ballot, we will." Dhillon has also referenced the use of a citizenship lookup tool within the Department of Homeland Security for processing voter records.
Litigation Against Fulton County, Georgia
In addition to the state lawsuits, the Justice Department has filed a separate lawsuit against Fulton County, Georgia. This action aims to compel local election officials to release all ballots and associated records from the 2020 election. Fulton County was a focal point for claims made by former President Trump and his allies regarding the integrity of the 2020 election results. This legal action follows the dismissal last month of an election interference case against Mr. Trump and his associates, originally brought by county prosecutors.
State Opposition and Related Developments
Officials in Colorado are among those who have voiced opposition to the administration's pursuit of voter data. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, stated, "We will not hand over Coloradans' sensitive voting information to Donald Trump. He does not have a legal right to the information. I will continue to protect our elections and democracy, and look forward to winning this case."
Concurrently, former President Trump announced on social media a pardon for Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk. Peters is currently serving a nine-year sentence after a conviction for unauthorized access to voting equipment, an action she undertook to investigate the 2020 election. It is notable that Peters' conviction was on state charges, not federal. The authority to issue pardons for state-level offenses rests with Colorado's governor.
Separately, the Department of Justice recently announced a review of Colorado's prison system.