Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson recently learned that the U.S. Department of Justice has been investigating her since 2025 regarding her refusal to release private voter data, according to a report published September 11. The investigation, which Henderson said came as a surprise, involves the extent to which she has complied with duties related to election records.
In a letter sent last Friday, Eric Neff, acting chief of the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, stated that Henderson is required to preserve election records for the prior 22 months. The letter cited the Civil Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Help America Vote Act, noting that failure to preserve relevant data may constitute spoliation of evidence, which could subject her to civil and criminal sanctions.
Henderson, a Republican, stated in a social media post that she was unaware of the investigation until now and characterized the department's actions as baseless harassment. She has previously argued that neither state nor federal law entitles the Department of Justice to collect private information on law-abiding American citizens.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox expressed support for Henderson on social media, stating that legal disagreements between Utah and the federal government should be resolved in court. He noted it is wrong for the DOJ to investigate the lieutenant governor for carrying out her responsibilities under Utah law.
The dispute follows efforts by the Trump administration to obtain voter lists to support election integrity. While some states have complied, many have declined to release full information, citing privacy laws. In Utah, laws allow for the release of certain information like name, address, and party affiliation for a fee, but details such as social security numbers and driver's license numbers remain strictly private and are only disclosed to government entities for election administration purposes.
Utah House Minority Leader Angela Romero, a Democrat from Salt Lake City, also expressed support for Henderson, stating that voter fraud is not an issue in Utah. Romero cited a state audit finding that 99.72% of Utah's registered voters are verifiably U.S. citizens.
Separately, Henderson has joined election officials from several other states in a court brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block a new U.S. Postal Service rule regarding mail-in ballots. The officials argue that implementing the rule's new requirements before the 2026 midterms would lead to mistakes, delays, and confusion for voters and staff.
