The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson after she refused to turn sensitive voter information over to the federal government, according to a letter sent by the agency’s Civil Rights Division.
Henderson, who has resisted efforts by President Donald Trump’s department to access personal information about Utah voters, posted a screenshot of the letter on social media Wednesday. The letter states: “As you are aware, you are currently under investigation and ongoing litigation as to the extent to which you have failed to comply with your duties under the (Civil Rights Act of 1960)” as well as the National Voter Registration Act ... and Help America Vote Act of 2002."
“Um, no, I was not aware, but I guess I am now,” Henderson, a Republican, responded in a social media post. “It would be nice if the good folks at the DOJ would focus on actual problems instead of baselessly harassing election officials.”
The letter, obtained by KSL, was sent Friday. It says Henderson is obligated to retain documents and other records that might be relevant to the investigation but does not provide more details about what the agency is looking into.
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the investigation.
“Your failure to preserve relevant data may constitute spoliation of evidence, which may subject you to civil and criminal sanctions,” the letter to Henderson states.
The department threatened Henderson with potential criminal prosecution in July after she rebuffed its requests to hand over Utah’s voter rolls to the federal government. Federal officials have filed multiple lawsuits against states, including Utah, seeking similar information, but have been rejected by courts more than 20 times.
In response to the lawsuit against Utah, Henderson’s office said “neither state nor federal law entitles the Department of Justice to collect private information on law-abiding citizens.”