Exclusive: New records show paper trail of DOGE voter data pact with election deniers

Newly obtained documents show a clear paper trail of Trump administration officials planning to share sensitive voter data with an outside political group trying to overturn elections, as part of a secret agreement.

The records — first obtained by Democracy Forward* through public record requests and ongoing litigation, and shared exclusively with Democracy Docket — include heavily redacted emails between government employees and the external group. They also include the signed voter data agreement and discussion of how data would be transferred between parties.  

In a statement, Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman said the administration continues to withhold critical information from the public.

“The Trump-Vance administration continues to hide what it is doing with Americans’ personal data, who it has unlawfully shared it with, and why,” Perryman said. “This is why we are seeking discovery in our case – to ensure that we hold this administration accountable to the American people. We will not stop until we know exactly how far this unlawful assault on our privacy, and potential threats to free and fair elections, go.”

Still, the documents provide the clearest evidence to date that Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) personnel engaged with an outside political group seeking to analyze voter rolls in an effort to challenge election results.

Earlier court filings stated the group’s goal was to find evidence of voter fraud and overturn election results in certain states. 

Internal communications included in the files show discussions about executing a data-sharing agreement and coordinating the transfer of information once finalized, though key details — including the identities of the outside entity and other officials involved — remain blacked out. 

One email included in the records offered a glimpse into the tone of the outside group’s outreach, with a sender writing that they had spent extensive time analyzing specific elections and were eager to share data and “theories.”

The records also include referrals for potential violations of the Hatch Act — a federal law that restricts partisan political activity by government employees — suggesting concerns that Trump administration staff may have used their positions and government resources for political purposes.

Despite the new disclosures, major questions remain unanswered. 

The government has redacted the names of most individuals involved and has not publicly identified the outside group that signed the agreement.

The documents come as part of a broader legal battle over DOGE’s access to Social Security data — including highly sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers, financial records and medical data on millions of Americans.

That case has intensified in recent weeks. A federal appeals court recently described the government’s conduct as “alarming” and directed a lower court to reconsider the case in light of newly disclosed evidence, including the voter data agreement. A district court has since allowed discovery to move forward, meaning plaintiffs can now seek internal government records and communications.

Even with large portions blacked out, the records show that government officials moved forward with plans to exchange sensitive data in connection with election-related activity — and that more details may soon come to light as the case proceeds.

*Democracy Docket Founder Marc Elias is the chair of Democracy Forward’s board.