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By Jenna Sundel and Gabe Whisnant
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A federal judge on Friday dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit seeking detailed voter registration records from Rhode Island, ruling that federal law does not authorize the Justice Department to demand sensitive personal data from states without a clear legal basis.
Trump Administration Voter Registration Lawsuit Dismissed: What To Know
U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy, nominated by President Donald Trump and approved by the U.S. Senate during Trump's first term, sided with Rhode Island election officials and civil rights groups, writing that the Justice Department was attempting “the kind of fishing expedition” not permitted under federal election law. The lawsuit was part of a broader effort by the administration to obtain unredacted voter data from states nationwide, including birth dates, home addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.
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The Justice Department sent a letter to Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore requesting an unredacted
electronic copy of Rhode Island’s statewide voter registration list on September 8 of last year, according to court records.
"DOJ has, over the last year, made similar demands to nearly every other state. When Secretary Amore refused to provide a voter registration list containing that sensitive information, the United States sued," McElroy wrote in her order.
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In an emailed statement to the Associated Press, the Justice Department said it would not comment on ongoing litigation.
Federal officials have argued the data is needed to ensure election integrity, but state officials from both parties and privacy advocates have pushed back, warning the requests violate state and federal privacy protections. Concerns intensified after DOJ lawyers acknowledged in court filings that the agency sought the data so it could be shared with the Department of Homeland Security to check voters’ citizenship status.
“The executive branch seems to have no problem taking actions that are clear Constitutional overreaches, regularly meddling in responsibilities that are the rights of the states,” Amore said in a statement. “But the power of our democratic republic, built on three, coequal branches of government, is clearer than ever before.”
In her decision, McElroy said the federal government failed to present any factual allegations suggesting Rhode Island was not complying with voter list maintenance requirements under federal law.
Were Requests for Voting Records Dismissed in Other States?
McElroy’s ruling closely mirrors decisions by judges in several other states who have rejected similar lawsuits. Courts in California, Massachusetts, Michigan and Oregon have all ruled against the Justice Department’s efforts, while a judge in Georgia dismissed a case because it had been filed in the wrong city. The federal government refiled the Georgia lawsuit elsewhere.
The Justice Department has sued at least 30 states and the District of Columbia seeking to force the release of the data.
At least 12 states have either provided or promised to provide detailed voter registration lists to the department, according to the Brennan Center. The states that have complied or indicated they will comply are Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming, according to the Brennan Center.
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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