DOJ Investigates Utah, Nevada Election Chiefs

The Justice Department has informed Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson and Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar that they are under investigation over disputes involving federal demands for unredacted voter-registration records. The department ordered both states to preserve records from the 2024 election while related litigation proceeds, warning that failure to retain evidence could bring civil or criminal sanctions. Henderson said she was unaware of the investigation until receiving the letter and accused the DOJ of harassing election officials, while Utah officials argue that releasing private voter information would violate state privacy law. Aguilar said Nevada is already preserving the requested records and has instructed counties to do the same. The broader legal fight centers on whether federal election laws authorize the DOJ to obtain sensitive state voter data, with federal officials citing election-integrity requirements and states and voting-rights groups warning of federal overreach, privacy violations and potential voter disenfranchisement.