(The Center Square) – Top Michigan officials are denouncing a U.S. Department of Justice request to turn over 2024 election materials.
Attorney General Dana Nessel, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson denounced a DOJ letter sent to Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett last week seeking access to ballots, envelopes and other records from the November 2024 election.
The DOJ cited its authority under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which requires election officials to retain records for 22 months and permits the attorney general to request materials tied to federal elections.
The department said such records include ballots, voter registration documents and vote tabulation data, and are necessary to investigate potential violations of federal election law.
Federal officials pointed to several past voter fraud cases in Wayne County, including convictions for ballot forgery and voter impersonation.
“In recent years there have been a number of recorded allegations and convictions in Wayne County of election fraud,” the letter said. “Based on this history of fraud convictions and other allegations concerning the election procedures in Wayne County and, for the purpose of ensuring that the foregoing federal election laws were not violated in the November 2024 federal election, we are requesting that you produce the following election-related records.”
Michigan state leaders, all Democrats, pushed back against the request. They argue the examples cited were isolated, already prosecuted and unrelated to the 2024 election cycle.
“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,” Nessel said. “Using these prosecutions and recycling debunked 2020 election conspiracy theories as justification to demand copies of the ballots of Michigan residents is a clear attempt to bully clerks and spread fear, even after Donald Trump won Michigan in 2024.”
Whitmer said the demand undermines confidence in Michigan’s election system, calling it “a poorly disguised attempt to justify more doubt and misinformation.”
Benson echoed those concerns, saying the request represents “the latest attempt to interfere in our elections” and warning it could erode voter trust ahead of future contests.
In response to the DOJ letter, Nessel sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon urging the department to withdraw the “baseless” request.
“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy,” Nessel said. “This includes the right to vote according to one’s political beliefs, free from fear and coercion.”
It remains unclear whether Wayne County will ultimately comply with the request. The DOJ indicated in its letter it may seek a court order if the records are not produced.
Wayne County has until April 28 to respond to the request.
