Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson denounced on Apr. 19 a letter from the Department of Justice demanding Wayne County Clerk Cathy M. Garrett produce materials from the November 2024 election, including all ballots and related documents. The letter threatens court action if the county does not comply and follows similar federal requests in other states.
The officials say this demand could undermine confidence in Michigan’s elections and is part of a broader pattern of federal intervention into state voting processes. They argue that such actions risk eroding trust among voters ahead of future elections.
In its communication, the Department of Justice referenced several voter fraud cases related to the 2020 election as justification for its request. However, each case was detected by local clerks, referred to Michigan’s Bureau of Elections, and prosecuted by state authorities. The civil case cited by the DOJ had been dismissed previously by Chief Judge Timothy Kenny, who called those allegations “incorrect and not credible.” None involved incidents from the current 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,” said Attorney General Dana Nessel. “Successful convictions underline that Michigan’s safeguards work and that instances of voter fraud are rare and addressed. 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. If this administration wants to bring this circus to our state, my office is prepared to protect the people’s right to vote.”
Governor Whitmer said: “Michigan’s elections are safe and secure, and any attempt to suggest otherwise is an attempt to take away Michiganders’ constitutional right to vote… This demand is a poorly disguised attempt to justify more doubt and misinformation about our elections as well as direct federal interference.” Secretary Benson added: “This is the Trump administration’s latest attempt to interfere in our elections… We stand with Wayne County… And we are ready to do the same with any other Michigan clerks DOJ threatens in this way.”
Nessel has sent a letter urging Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon not to pursue what she called unfounded investigations based on disproven claims.
According to the official website, Dana Nessel serves as Michigan’s 54th attorney general overseeing statewide efforts focused on public service initiatives such as advancing social efforts against human trafficking, supporting vulnerable populations, drafting policies like Clean Slate expungement opportunities since 2019, protecting residents across Michigan through legal authority exercised by her department.