Ohio Dems put GOP elections chief on notice for handing voter data to Trump DOJ

Ohio Democrats warned Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) Monday over his decision to hand over the sensitive voter data of nearly 8 million Ohioans to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

The dispute escalated after reports confirmed LaRose had transferred the statewide voter registration database to the DOJ as part of its nationwide investigation into how states are maintaining their voter rolls.

Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde blasted the move, accusing LaRose of putting politics ahead of voters’ rights.

“Frank LaRose’s failure to protect Ohio voters’ privacy by turning over our voter registration info to the DOJ is unacceptable,” Clyde wrote on social media. “The Ohio Democratic Party is exploring all options to fight back against this egregious abuse of power.”

The handover stems from a formal request the DOJ sent to Ohio last summer seeking the state’s full voter registration database — including personally identifying information such as birthdates, addresses, driver’s license and Social Security numbers. 

In a letter to DOJ last month, LaRose said he had ordered the data transfer.

“I have directed my staff to immediately initiate the secure delivery of Ohio’s statewide voter registration data to the Department of Justice,” LaRose wrote. “This action should serve to reinforce that election integrity will always be the top priority of my administration, and that begins with our duty under the law to maintain accurate voter rolls. We remain ready and grateful to partner with you in this effort.”

LaRose acknowledged the data he sent represents only a snippet and cannot perfectly reflect the state’s constantly changing voter rolls.

“The list I am sending you, however, is a static snapshot,” LaRose wrote. “At no point in time will I be able to give the Department a demonstrably perfect image of our database.”

The Republican National Committee (RNC) defended the data sharing, arguing from their “election integrity” X account that states cooperating with federal investigators is necessary to enforce election laws.

“Why are Democrats so threatened when states share election data with the Justice Department to ensure every vote counts?” the RNC account posted in reply to Clyde. “This basic process is already happening in multiple states, including TN, TX, MS, IN, WY, and LA.”

The clash reflects a larger national battle over the DOJ’s aggressive push to obtain unredacted voter registration databases from states across the country.

Last year, the DOJ sent letters to dozens of states demanding complete statewide voter rolls, claiming the data is necessary to enforce federal laws. The department has so far sued 29 states plus Washington D.C. for refusing their demands. 

Some Republican-led states have complied, while others have continued to resist, citing privacy concerns and questioning the DOJ’s legal authority.

Federal courts have already dismissed several DOJ lawsuits seeking to force states to turn over the data, including cases in California, Michigan and Oregon. The department has appealed those rulings.

This isn’t the first time LaRose has danced to DOJ’s tune. In September, the department sent him a letter claiming, dubiously, that the state was violating federal law by accepting mail ballots that arrive after election day but are postmarked before.

In response, LaRose urged lawmakers to scrap the state’s mail ballot grace period — a key GOP goal — which they quickly did.