Judge rejects DOJ effort to get sensitive voter information from Rhode Island

Politics Judge rejects Justice Department effort to get sensitive voter information from Rhode Island By Melissa Quinn, Melissa Quinn Senior Reporter, Politics Melissa Quinn is a senior reporter for CBSNews.com, where she covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Read Full Bio Melissa Quinn, Sarah N. Lynch Sarah N. Lynch Senior Justice Department Reporter Sarah N. Lynch is the senior Justice Department reporter for CBS News, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Sarah N. Lynch April 17, 2026 / 3:16 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — A federal judge on Friday rejected the Justice Department's effort to force Rhode Island to turn over sensitive voter information, dealing another blow to the Trump administration's attempts to gain access to state voter registration lists.U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy, who was appointed by President Trump in his first term, granted a request from Rhode Island officials to dismiss a Justice Department lawsuit that sought the state's unredacted voter rolls, which contain personal information about residents registered to vote. McElroy wrote in a 14-page decision that the Justice Department's effort was a "fishing expedition" that was not authorized by federal election laws. She also denied a motion from the Trump administration that sought to force Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore to hand over the voter data.Amore cheered the decision in a statement and said it affirms the state's position that the Justice Department has no legal right to the state's private voter information. "Voter list maintenance is a responsibility entrusted to the states, and I remain confident in the steps we take here in Rhode Island to keep our list as accurate as possible," he said. "The executive branch seems to have no problem taking actions that are clear Constitutional overreaches, regularly meddling in responsibilities that are the rights of the states. But the power of our...