Krishnamoorthi Renews Demand for Answers from Trump DOJ as Republican Officials Raise Alarm Over “Aggressive” Election Monitors

WASHINGTON - Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today renewed his demand for answers from Attorney General Todd Blanche as Republican officials in Wyoming raised alarms over the conduct of Department of Justice election monitors during the state's August primary. The concerns come as Trump DOJ expands election monitoring ahead of the November midterms, including plans to deploy as many as 1,000 federal personnel nationwide.

In the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes:

"According to public reporting, the Civil Rights Division dispatched two attorneys to observe polling sites in Laramie County during Wyoming's primary. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon - a Republican - told the state's canvassing board on August 26 that the monitors' conduct was 'aggressive' and 'irregular,' and that it 'seemed to exceed' the authority Congress gave them."

The monitors reportedly sought to interview voters and examine election equipment and poll-worker training activities, while several state and local officials said they had not been notified in advance of the deployment. Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee, also a Republican, called the operation "a poorly managed exercise" that showed "complete disregard for our state laws and administration of our elections."

Krishnamoorthi continues:

"These are not the objections of partisan critics. They come from a Republican governor and a Republican County clerk in one of the most reliably Republican states in the country, both of whom raised concerns about the way the Department's monitors conducted themselves. Regardless of one's views on the Department's monitoring initiative, these allegations warrant a clear explanation from the Department about what occurred, what authority the monitors were exercising, and what steps will be taken to prevent similar problems in November."

DOJ has also deployed Civil Rights Division personnel to monitor elections in Florida, Minnesota, and other jurisdictions this cycle. Krishnamoorthi is seeking information on whether officials elsewhere have raised similar concerns and what changes DOJ will make before deploying monitors during the November general election.

Krishnamoorthi is demanding answers to the following questions:

1. Why were the Wyoming Attorney General, the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, and the Laramie County Clerk's Office not notified in advance of the monitors' deployment? Was any state or local official notified before the monitors arrived, and, if so, when and by whom? Is advance coordination with state and local election officials the Department's standard practice?
2. What written guidance governed the monitors' interactions with voters, poll workers, and election administrators in Laramie County, and does that guidance differ from the guidance provided to monitors in other jurisdictions this primary season?
3. Has the Department received complaints, concerns, or objections regarding monitor conduct from officials in any other jurisdiction monitored during the 2026 primaries, including Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, or Florida? If so, please identify the jurisdictions, the nature of the complaints, and how the Department responded.
4. How many Civil Rights Division personnel have been deployed to monitor elections during the 2026 primary season to date, and to how many jurisdictions have they been deployed?
5. What changes, if any, will the Department make to monitor training, advance coordination, written guidance, or supervisory oversight before deploying monitors for the November general election?
6. Will the Department commit to notifying appropriate state and local election officials sufficiently in advance of any November deployment, absent an extraordinary circumstance in which advance notice would materially compromise a legitimate federal enforcement objective?

Krishnamoorthi requested responses to these questions, together with those in his August 19 letter, by September 7, 2026.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi's letter is available here.