The Justice Department sent letters to at least 30 top state election officials telling them not to destroy records from the 2024 election. The letters said those officials “are currently under investigation” and are part of “ongoing litigation.”
A department spokeswoman said the letters went to states the department is already suing for not turning over their full statewide voter lists. It is not clear whether the inquiry is criminal or civil. In court, the department has asked for unredacted voter rolls that include personal details such as driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. It has sued 30 states for that data.
In July, Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department’s civil rights division, wrote all 50 states warning of criminal prosecution if a noncitizen’s ballot is counted in the midterms. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin later said election officials could face prison time if they did not go along with the administration’s election-policy changes.
The administration is also asking the Supreme Court to let it limit mail-in voting before the midterms, and the Department of Homeland Security is searching voter rolls for noncitizens.
