--- title: "US judge blocks DOJ demand for Minnesota’s full voter list" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/us-judge-blocks-doj-demand-for-minnesotas-full-voter-list" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-judge-blocks-doj-demand-for-minnesotas-full-voter-list" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/us-judge-blocks-doj-demand-for-minnesotas-full-voter-list.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-judge-blocks-doj-demand-for-minnesotas-full-voter-list" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-17T23:25:54.736Z" source_reported: "2026-08-17T21:53:19.091Z" updated: "2026-08-17T23:25:54.736Z" trust_score: 54 critic_score: 59 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-18T00:15:54.281128+00:00" --- # US judge blocks DOJ demand for Minnesota’s full voter list *Federal court rejects Trump administration lawsuit seeking state voter registration data under election law* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 54 of 100, higher is better. Steve Simon named as Secretary of State (+12) and multiple independent digests corroborate (+12). - Craft 59 of 100, higher is better. Clear facts, specific names and dates, no commentary (+8; +6). - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Measured language, no clickbait or exaggeration. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - A federal judge dismissed the Department of Justice’s lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s full voter registration list, calling it a 'fishing expedition'. - The DOJ sued Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon in September 2025 after he refused to hand over the state’s voter rolls. - The case was part of a broader effort by the Trump administration, which filed 23 similar lawsuits against states over voter data. - The ruling leaves Minnesota’s voter rolls private, with no court order requiring their release. A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice in September 2025 against Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. The DOJ had demanded the state’s full voter registration list, arguing it was needed to ensure compliance with federal election law. Simon refused to comply, and the judge ruled the lawsuit lacked a valid legal basis. The judge described the DOJ’s demand as a 'fishing expedition', a term used in US courts for lawsuits that seek broad information without a clear legal justification. The case was one of 23 similar lawsuits the Trump administration filed against states over voter data. None of those cases have succeeded, according to the Minnesota Reformer. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre-rated or right-rated digests mentioned that the DOJ had filed 23 similar lawsuits against states over voter data. The Minnesota Reformer was the only outlet whose digest included that figure. ## Who covered it Shares of the 14 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 7% (1) - Centre: 43% (6) - Right: 50% (7) 1 of 15 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-18T00:15:54.281128+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 6 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-18T00:45:22.670Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The Minnesota Reformer’s digest led on the broader pattern of the Trump administration’s lawsuits, reporting that the DOJ was '0-23 in its effort to obtain voter information maintained by the states'. It named Steve Simon and framed the case as part of a national campaign by the administration. ### Centre - All six centre-rated digests led on the judge’s description of the lawsuit as a 'fishing expedition'. None mentioned the 23 similar cases filed by the DOJ. The Fox 9 digest used the phrase 'Trump administration’ in its headline, while the other five centre-rated digests did not name the administration in their headlines or digests. ### Right - All six right-rated digests led on the judge’s dismissal of the lawsuit and the phrase 'fishing expedition'. None mentioned the 23 similar cases filed by the DOJ. The Echo Press digest added that the DOJ had sued 'several other states' over the same issue, but did not specify the number or outcomes of those cases. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 9 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 5 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Inforum](https://inforum.com/news/minnesota/federal-judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesotas-voter-rolls) — Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s voter rolls - [Duluth News Tribune](https://duluthnewstribune.com/news/minnesota/federal-judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesotas-voter-rolls) — Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s voter rolls - [Brainerd Dispatch](https://brainerddispatch.com/news/minnesota/federal-judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesotas-voter-rolls) — Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s voter rolls - [West Central Tribune](https://wctrib.com/news/minnesota/federal-judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesotas-voter-rolls) — Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s voter rolls - [Grand Forks Herald](https://grandforksherald.com/news/minnesota/federal-judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesotas-voter-rolls) — Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s voter rolls - [The Globe](https://dglobe.com/news/minnesota/federal-judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesotas-voter-rolls) — Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s voter rolls - [Bemidji Pioneer](https://bemidjipioneer.com/news/minnesota/federal-judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesotas-voter-rolls) — Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s voter rolls - [Detroit Lakes Online](https://dl-online.com/news/minnesota/federal-judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesotas-voter-rolls) — Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s voter rolls - [Echo Press](https://echopress.com/news/minnesota/federal-judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesotas-voter-rolls) — Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s voter rolls - [Park Rapids Enterprise](https://parkrapidsenterprise.com/news/minnesota/federal-judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesotas-voter-rolls) — Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s voter rolls - [Post Bulletin](https://postbulletin.com/news/minnesota/federal-judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesotas-voter-rolls) — Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s voter rolls - [Pine and Lakes Echo Journal](https://pineandlakes.com/news/minnesota/federal-judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesotas-voter-rolls) — Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s voter rolls - [Minnesota Reformer](https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/08/17/federal-judge-tosses-out-doj-lawsuit-seeking-minnesota-voter-data) — Federal judge tosses out DOJ lawsuit seeking Minnesota voter data - [The Free Press (Tampa)](https://tampafp.com/federal-judge-dismisses-lawsuit-accusing-doj-of-leaking-investigative-records) — Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Accusing DOJ Of Leaking Investigative Records - Tampa Free Press - [Fox 9](https://fox9.com/news/minnesota-voter-rolls-stay-private-after-court-rejects-trump-fishing-expedition-aug-17-2026) — Minnesota voter rolls stay private after court rejects Trump 'fishing expedition' ## Questions **Why did the DOJ sue Minnesota over voter rolls?** The Department of Justice sued Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon in September 2025, demanding the state’s full voter registration list to check compliance with federal election law. Simon refused, and a federal judge dismissed the case, calling it a 'fishing expedition' with no clear legal basis. **How many states did the DOJ sue over voter data?** The Department of Justice filed 23 similar lawsuits against states seeking voter registration data, according to the Minnesota Reformer. None of those cases have succeeded, and the Minnesota lawsuit was dismissed in August 2026. **What did the judge say about the DOJ’s lawsuit?** The federal judge dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit, describing it as a 'fishing expedition'. This term refers to lawsuits that seek broad information without a specific legal justification. The ruling blocked the DOJ’s demand for Minnesota’s voter rolls. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/us-judge-blocks-doj-demand-for-minnesotas-full-voter-list. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US judge blocks DOJ demand for Minnesota’s full voter list", https://mediabias.news/politics/us-judge-blocks-doj-demand-for-minnesotas-full-voter-list