UMVA has learned that a federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump has dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against Maine's Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
The lawsuit, brought against Bellows in September, alleged that Maine violated federal election laws when the state refused to turn over data about Maine voters to the federal government. The requested data included sensitive information such as names, driver's license numbers, partial Social Security numbers, and full dates of birth.
Bellows had argued that the DOJ did not provide a valid explanation for how they planned to use the data, and she rejected the DOJ's request in August. She then filed a motion to dismiss the federal lawsuit in December, saying "The Gulf of Maine is awfully cold, but maybe that’s what the DOJ needs to cool down. So, here's my answer to Trump's DOJ today: Go jump in the Gulf of Maine."
Maine's Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker, who Trump appointed in 2018, granted Bellows' motion and dismissed the DOJ lawsuit. Walker stated that the United States' requests would require him to "turn a blind eye to traditional practices of federalism and how those expressions have found expression in American elections."
Bellows praised the ruling, saying "Today’s ruling affirms that the states, not the federal government, are in charge of our elections. From the moment the Trump Administration sought every American’s voter data, I said no. When they tried to bully me by suing Maine, I helped lead a coalition of states to fight back – and we’re winning."
Bellows vowed to continue defending Maine's voting rights and privacy, saying "Let me be clear – Trump and the DOJ may continue to try to interfere with free and fair elections run by the states. We will not let them. Under our Constitution, states are the primary regulators and administrators of elections for federal office, unless Congress passes legislation that preempts that framework."
The DOJ has sued 30 states for refusing to turn over unredacted lists of their voter rolls, but those lawsuits have been dismissed in several states, including Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island, and now Maine. The DOJ has not publicly commented on the dismissal.
