Michigan Officials Push Back Against DOJ’s Voter Data Request
Michigan’s top officials are pushing back after the Department of Justice requested voter data from Wayne County concerning the upcoming 2024 elections.
U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon issued a letter to Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett. The letter demands election materials, including ballots and envelopes, citing alleged historical voter fraud in the county as the reason for the request.
This demand comes in the wake of a 2020 lawsuit against Wayne County and Detroit that accused them of voter fraud. The suit was later dismissed by a local judge. Additionally, the letter referenced past convictions for election fraud in Wayne County, although state officials maintain these did not occur during the 2024 election cycle.
Dhillon has provided the clerk’s office with a 14-day deadline to submit the requested documents.
Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and Attorney General Dana Nessel have expressed their disapproval of the DOJ’s demands in a joint statement.
Governor Whitmer stated, “Michigan’s elections are safe and secure, and any attempt to suggest otherwise is an attempt to take away Michiganders’ constitutional right to vote.” She emphasized the role of over 1,600 locally elected clerks in ensuring every vote is counted.
Secretary of State Benson added, “We won’t be intimidated by these tactics. We stand with Wayne County to ensure we protect the integrity of our elections and the privacy of Michigan voters. And we are ready to do the same with any other Michigan clerks DOJ threatens in this way.”
Attorney General Nessel criticized the request by saying, “Once again, President Trump is weaponizing the Justice Department in an attempt to sabotage our democratic process and turn it into his own personal agency to interfere in state elections. This request is as absurd as it is baseless.”
In response, Nessel sent a letter to Dhillon, asserting that the DOJ’s demands are based on falsehoods regarding election security in the county.
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