The Trump administration's Justice Department Civil Rights Division caught Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson off guard with a letter announcing she was under investigation for breaking federal voting laws.
Henderson, a conservative Republican, took to social media in response to the letter to say, "'As you are aware, you are currently under investigation...' Um, no, I was not aware, but I guess I am now. It would be nice if the good folks at the DOJ would focus on actual problems instead of baselessly harassing election officials."
The letter accused Henderson, who also oversees elections in Utah, of breaching federal law by failing to hand over voting records to the federal government.
"We represent the United States in enforcing your duties as the chief election officer of the State of Utah under the Civil Rights Act of 1960 ('CRA'), codified at 52 U.S.C. § 20701, et seq," said the letter. "As you are aware, you are currently under investigation and ongoing litigation as to the extent to which you have failed to comply with your duties under the CRA as well as the National Voter Registration Act ('NVRA'), codified at 52 U.S.C. § 20501 et seq., and Help America Vote Act of 2002 ('HAVA'), codified at 52 U.S.C. § 20181, et seq."
"You were initially put on notice of this investigation based on our letters to your office in 2025 and the subsequent litigation that followed," the letter continued. "These letters notified you of your duty to preserve election records which have come into possession under the CRA for the prior 22 months, including records from the 2024 federal election."
The Trump administration has sued dozens of states to obtain confidential voter information, including drivers' licenses and partial Social Security numbers, and has been rejected in court every time — often by judges Trump appointed.
Henderson has faced threats not just from Trump but from state officials in her own party, who proposed impeachment if she complied with state court orders to invalidate a congressional gerrymander that gave Republicans an extra House seat.