Representative Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) condemned New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill's (D-NJ) refusal to comply with an election investigation in a recent social media post.
The Context
Earlier in July, it was discovered that approximately 6,600 individuals – non-citizens who could not legally vote – were registered to vote in the Garden State, allegedly due to a glitch in the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission's computer system between June 2023 and June 2024
Another 400 are alleged to have cast ballots.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who heads the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, ordered Gov. Sherrill to hand over the data.
On Tuesday, Sherrill posted on X, "Today, I informed @AAGDhillon that New Jersey will not provide the personal information of thousands of New Jersey residents. The request had no legal basis, and I will always protect New Jerseyans' personally identifiable information."
AAG Dhillon replied, "Gov. Sherrill's refusal to cooperate with federal law enforcement does nothing to protect law-abiding NJ voters. NJ has a legal duty to keep ineligible voters off its rolls, & our request is grounded in that legal authority. DOJ will get this information through all legal means!"
Hamadeh's Response
"NO LEGAL BASIS?" Rep. Hamadeh replied to Sherrill's post. "6,600 non-citizens on New Jersey's voter rolls. Hundreds of them voted. Your refusal to turn over the data isn't about 'privacy. It's about shielding a catastrophic failure that let illegal votes dilute the voice of American citizens. That's no accident. That's negligence, or worse. Glad @AAGDhillon is pursuing this to the fullest extent."
Hamadeh Welcomes Election Monitors
Rep. Hamadeh's rebuttal of Sherrill comes on the heels of Dhillon announcing that election monitors would be assigned to cover Arizona, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Virginia earlier in July.
The Arizona congressman welcomed the announcement, writing, "Good to see Arizona on the list," further condemning Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes as "a former cartel lawyer, more focused on labeling 'election deniers' as fascists than on running a free and fair election." He also condemned Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes as "illegitimately installed through a rigged election and cannot be trusted to prosecute election crimes."
