Fontes accuses DOJ of 'blackmail' over Minnesota voter data and ICE removal offer

Fontes: 'This isn’t leadership; this is blackmail'

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes accuses Attorney General Pam Bondi of "blackmail" regarding federal requests for sensitive state voter information.

PHOENIX - Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes claims that the White House is offering to pull U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) out of Minnesota if state leaders hand over voter rolls.

In a statement released on social media this weekend, Fontes characterized the move by the Department of Justice and Attorney General Pam Bondi as an attempt to extort sensitive information.

"Pam Bondi just sent a letter to Minnesota state officials telling them—trying to blackmail them—telling them they’ll remove ICE from the state of Minnesota in exchange for the voter rolls and sensitive data, which is the same type I’ve been protecting here in Arizona," Fontes said.

Fontes, a Democrat, argued that federal authorities are not entitled to that specific data and compared the tactics to those of a criminal enterprise.

"This isn’t leadership; this is blackmail," Fontes said on X. "This is the way organized crime works. They move into your neighborhood, they beat everyone up and extort what they want."

Federal officials have previously stated they require voter data because the government has a lawful role to enforce federal election laws and ensure compliance. The DOJ maintains that this data collection will ultimately strengthen election integrity across the country.