Michigan attorney general denies Trump administration ballot access
April 20 (UPI) -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has rejected the Trump administration's attempt to collect election materials, including ballot information.
The Justice Department demanded election materials in a letter to the Wayne County, Mich., clerk last week, threatening legal action if records were not submitted. Nessel has rejected the call to produce election information, saying Friday that President Donald Trump's claims of voter fraud are "baseless."
Trump has said that voter fraud caused him to lose the 2020 presidential election to President Joe Biden, an allegation that courts have repeatedly rejected.
"Michigan stands ready to defend against these claims and any attempt to interfere in Michigan's elections," Nessel said in a letter responding to the Justice Department.
Wayne County, Mich., is the most populous county in Michigan, with its county seat in Detroit.
The letter from the Justice Department, signed by Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, cited voter fraud cases that occurred in Wayne County.
The Trump administration has sued more than a dozen states that have refused to comply with its demands for election data, including California and Pennsylvania.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined Nessel and other state officials in a statement Sunday, saying the Trump administration is attempting to interfere in state elections.
"This demand is a poorly disguised attempt to justify more doubt and misinformation about our elections as well as direct federal interference," Whitmer said in a statement.
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 2:06 PM.