DOJ Escalates Battle: Feds Accuse California of Blocking Voter Roll Audit Amid Election Integrity Debate

Dhillon’s demand letter followed an August 8 response from Secretary Weber’s office, which had previously raised significant concerns regarding privacy protections for voters, asserting these could be compromised by the extensive state voter-registration data sought by the federal government. A spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office emphatically told Fox News Digital that “every federal court to consider the issue has ruled U.S. DOJ’s demands violate federal law,” adding, “unlike this federal administration, we don’t do things that are illegal.”

In an attempt to resolve the issue, Weber’s office offered a compromise: allowing the DOJ to inspect a redacted voter-registration database by appointment in Sacramento, arguing this satisfied their legal obligations. However, Dhillon swiftly rejected this proposal, insisting on an electronic copy of the statewide voter list “with all fields,” as detailed in legal filings from the ongoing dispute now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.