TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill announced that her administration will not provide the personal information of thousands of New Jersey residents requested by the U.S. Department of Justice, saying the request has no legal basis and that protecting residents’ privacy remains a top priority.
In a statement posted on her official social media account, Sherrill wrote:
“Today, I informed Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon that New Jersey will not provide the personal information of thousands of New Jersey residents. The request had no legal basis, and I will always protect New Jerseyans’ personally identifiable information.”
The statement comes just days after the governor disclosed that a serious software error in the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) system, occurring between June 2023 and June 2024, resulted in the improper voter registration of thousands of individuals. According to her administration, the state is already working with county election officials to correct the error and remove inaccurate voter registrations.
In a letter addressed to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, Sherrill said the Department of Justice had requested extensive personal information about thousands of New Jersey residents. She argued that there is no legal basis for the request and that providing the information could violate federal privacy laws, including the Privacy Actand the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, as well as New Jersey laws protecting residents’ personally identifiable information.
The governor also noted that the state has already responded to requests related to the ongoing federal litigation but will not provide information that is not legally required.
Concluding her letter, Sherrill reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to ensuring that New Jersey’s elections remain “free, fair, and secure” while safeguarding the privacy rights of the state’s residents.
The move marks the latest development in the growing dispute between the Sherrill administration and the U.S. Department of Justice. While federal officials continue seeking additional information as part of their investigation into the voter registration issue, New Jersey officials maintain that the software error has already been identified, corrective measures are underway, and residents’ personal information cannot be released without clear legal authority.
Sources & References
- Official Facebook page of Governor Mikie Sherrill (July 28, 2026).
- Official X (formerly Twitter) account of Governor Mikie Sherrill (July 28, 2026).
- Letter from Governor Mikie Sherrill to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, Office of the Governor of New Jersey (July 28, 2026).
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