# Los Angeles County Refuses to Access Unverified DOJ Voter Data Drive Officials cite security protocols and legal concerns regarding unconfirmed voter eligibility data. - **Source:** [Gizmodo](https://gizmodo.com/) - **Published:** 2026-10-15 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/216d216d-97bd-4489-bf14-ad0379b1eb29 ## Unsolicited DOJ Data Delivery The Department of Justice sent an unsolicited USB drive to Los Angeles County officials, claiming it contains names of noncitizens who received mail ballots. The registrar’s office has not accessed the device, citing significant information security concerns. This standoff occurs as federal authorities demand immediate verification of voter citizenship status before the upcoming midterm elections. ## Security and Privacy Protocols Dean Logan, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder, stated that accessing the drive would violate established data privacy and information security protocols. Officials do not consider the provided device a secure medium for sensitive government data. Furthermore, the DOJ failed to specify the number of individuals involved or describe the methodology behind the records. ## Legal Demands and Threats The DOJ issued a letter to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and local officials, demanding they verify citizenship for everyone on the list. They threatened a lawsuit if the process is not implemented within 48 hours. The administration seeks to withhold or set aside ballots tied to individuals who cannot be immediately verified. ## Constitutional and Legal Context The U.S. Constitution empowers Congress to regulate elections, while states maintain the primary responsibility for running them. Recent judicial trends show the administration losing numerous voter data-related court cases. A federal district court judge in DC recently ruled against the DOJ’s attempt to run voter rolls through a database deemed highly inaccurate by experts. ## Questionable Data Accuracy Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin alleged that 250,000 noncitizens are illegally registered to vote in four states. However, election expert David Becker noted that this figure relies on commercial data lacking personally identifiable information. Such methods are widely criticized for creating a high volume of false matches, undermining the credibility of the provided list. ## Systematic Removal Restrictions Federal law prohibits election officials from conducting systematic removals of ineligible voters within 90 days of federal elections. Despite this, the administration is exploring creative legal loopholes to bypass these restrictions. Voting rights groups and the Republican National Committee are currently engaged in a legal battle regarding these practices before the Supreme Court. ## Political Motivation Concerns Critics argue that the White House election agenda aims to harm Democrats on the campaign trail. Trump has explicitly linked the SAVE America Act to guaranteed GOP victory in the 2026 midterms. Experts question why the DOJ would violate its own internal rules regarding election investigations so close to the actual voting day. ## Implications for Election Integrity The refusal to process the USB drive highlights the tension between federal intervention and local election administration. By prioritizing established security protocols over unverified data, Los Angeles officials are challenging the legitimacy of the DOJ’s approach. This conflict underscores the ongoing legal and procedural battles surrounding voter roll maintenance and election integrity nationwide. ## Sources covering this story - https://gizmodo.com/los-angeles-officials-havent-plugged-in-usb-drive-that-doj-insists-is-full-of-noncitizens-who-were-sent-ballots-2000826118 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._