Maine Sec. of State to Trump DOJ: ‘Go Jump in the Gulf of Maine’

AUGUSTA, ME — Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) issued a defiant response to the wide-ranging request from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) — first reported by Democracy Docket — for the state’s sensitive voter information and voting systems data.

“The Gulf of Maine is awfully cold, but maybe that’s what the DOJ needs to cool down,” said Bellows at a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the state capitol in Augusta. “So here’s my answer to Trump’s DOJ today: Go jump in the Gulf of Maine.”

Bellows’ sharply-worded response came after her office received a request from the DOJ’s Civil Rights division July 24 to turn over a long list of voter information and registration processes. 

The DOJ cited compliance with the National Voter Registration Act as the basis for its request. But Bellows noted that the elections clause in Article One of the Constitution stipulates that states have the governing authority to manage their elections.

Bellows, who is running for governor, called the DOJ request an “unprecedented and dangerous step and an abuse of power.”

She also implied the DOJ and President Trump could be trying to divert attention from some recent hot-button political issues.

“The Epstein Files were hot last week,” Bellows said. “I don’t know if this request is to change the conversation, but one could view it that way.”

Maine joins New Hampshire, Minnesota and Wisconsin in rejecting the DOJ’s request for full voter rolls. Numerous other states, as well as several large counties in California, have received similar requests. Democracy Docket is tracking them all.

When asked, Bellows didn’t rule out a potential lawsuit against the DOJ if it pursues its request despite the state’s rejection. 

“We’ll look at our options. Hopefully, they’ll take a step back from this.”

Matt Cohen contributed reporting.