AG Kris Mayes Joins Coalition Standing With Minnesota Against Federal Data Demands

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Attorney General Kris Mayes (D-AZ) has joined 21 additional state attorneys general in sending a letter to federal officials regarding the current government overreach targeting Minnesota.

The coalition addressed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about federal requests for state data and policy changes in Minnesota.

"Arizonan's data is not up for grabs," Mayes said. "From voter rolls to SNAP information, Arizonan's private information is being protected by my office and full force of the law."

The conflict stems from Bondi's January 24 letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D-MN). The federal letter claimed the state was allowing widespread fraud and listed specific conditions Minnesota must meet before federal agents would leave.

The federal letter outlined conditions for withdrawal of federal agents, including:

Access to Medicaid and food assistance program records
Changes to local public safety policies
Entry to voter registration information

The state attorneys general argue these requests exceed federal authority and conflict with existing court orders in similar cases.

Mayes highlighted growing tensions in Minnesota as motivation for protecting Arizona's information systems.

"I will continue to work with state and local elections partners to defend the sensitive data of Arizona voters and safeguard our independent election systems," she said.

The coalition noted that courts have previously blocked comparable federal data requests in multiple jurisdictions.

The 22 state attorneys general, coordinated by Attorney General Letitia James (D-AZ), stated their intention to maintain their positions.

Along with Mayes, participating attorneys general are:

Letitia James (D-NY)
Rob Bonta (D-CA)
Philip J. Weiser (D-CO)
William Tong (D-CT)
Kathleen Jennings (D-DE)
Brian L. Schwalb (D-D.C.)
Anne E. Lopez (D-HI)
Kwame Raoul (D-IL)
Aaron M. Frey (D-ME)
Andrea Campbell (D-MA)
Anthony G. Brown (D-MD)
Dana Nessel (D-MI)
Aaron D. Ford (D-NV)
Jennifer Davenport (D-NJ)
Raúl Torrez (D-NM)
Dan Rayfield (D-OR)
Peter Neronha (D-R)
Charity R. Clark (D-VT)
Jay Jones (D-VA)
Nick Brown (D-WA)
Joshua L. Kaul (D-WI)

The letter requests that the federal administration reconsider its approach to Minnesota.

Ericka Piñon

Ericka Piñon is a state and federal politics reporter for Cactus Politics and a Journalism and Mass Communication student at Arizona State University. With a focus in public relations, she aims to deliver balanced coverage grounded in solid sourcing.