The Justice Department is investigating the Arizona voter registration efforts of three Democratic-aligned groups after an "undercover" video purported to show volunteers willing to register non-citizens, with the announcement coming four days before the Nov. 3 election.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona said Friday it has opened a case into recent reporting about the groups, nearly a month after Arizona's registration deadline passed. The reporting appears to reference an Oct. 22 video by Muckraker, a right-wing media outlet, showing a man posing as a felon or noncitizen asking if he can register to vote.
The groups are nonprofits Worker Power and Stand Indivisible AZ, and When We Count, a voter-registration program of the Democratic National Committee. The U.S. Attorney's Office has referred the matter to the FBI, and U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine asked Republican Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap and Democratic Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes for a review of registrations submitted by the groups to ensure only U.S. citizens were registered.
DNC spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández said the party is not aware of any instances of its fellows registering a noncitizen, and called the allegations "fabricated" and "inspired by right-wing operatives." Worker Power and Stand Indivisible AZ did not immediately respond.
In near-identical letters, Courchaine wrote that it "appears these organizations … may have violated" a state law about knowingly registering ineligible persons. The video does not show anyone being registered, only discussing it. The letter to Heap, a Republican ally of President Trump, concludes "I know you are dedicated to securing Arizona's elections," while the one to Fontes says "I trust that you are dedicated."
Former Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell, a Republican, questioned the timing, saying registrations would be checked for eligibility and the chance of an ineligible person receiving a ballot is low. "It just seems like we keep seeing these little steps to confuse people," she said.
The probe comes as the Justice Department has sued 30 states and D.C. seeking detailed voter registration records, losing every case decided so far. A federal appeals court on Friday rejected its bid to set aside mail ballots from 20,000 California voters, calling the department's claims it suspects them of being noncitizens "not credible." In Alaska, federal prosecutors confirmed a criminal investigation involving a Senate candidate sharing the name of Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan, and the DOJ is seeking to segregate ballots there.
Arizona has been at the center of election-fraud conspiracy theories since President Trump's 2020 defeat, including a Republican-commissioned review of Maricopa County ballots by the firm Cyber Ninjas that confirmed Joe Biden's victory. Heap won his office in 2024 backed by election-deniers and last week settled a lawsuit involving U.S. citizens his office had barred from voting despite a county attorney's investigation confirming their citizenship.
It is unclear whether Heap or Fontes will review the registrations as requested; neither immediately responded. The U.S. Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to questions about what additional evidence, if any, it has.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The probe lands four days before the Nov. 3 election and about a month after Arizona's registration deadline, leaving officials little time to review registrations before voters go to the polls.
- The Justice Department is simultaneously waging election legal challenges across the country, including suits against 30 states and D.C. for voter registration records, all lost so far.
- A Republican former elections official warns the announcement could sow unnecessary doubt about the results.
Background
Arizona has been a focal point for election-fraud conspiracy theories since President Trump's 2020 defeat, including a Republican-commissioned review of Maricopa County ballots by Cyber Ninjas that ultimately confirmed Joe Biden's victory. Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap, a Republican ally of Trump, won office in 2024 backed by election-deniers and last week settled a lawsuit over U.S. citizens his office had barred from voting. The Justice Department has sued 30 states and D.C. seeking voter registration records and has lost every case decided so far; a federal appeals court Friday rejected its bid to set aside mail ballots from 20,000 California voters.
Key Perspectives
- U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona: says it has opened a case into recent reporting about the three nonprofits registering non-citizens and asked for a review of registrations submitted by the groups.
- DNC spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández: says the party is not aware of any instances of its fellows registering a noncitizen, and calls the allegations "fabricated" and "inspired by right-wing operatives."
- Former Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell (Republican): questions the timing of the announcement, says the chance of an ineligible person receiving a ballot is low, and says "It just seems like we keep seeing these little steps to confuse people."
What to Watch
- Whether Heap and Fontes act on the U.S. attorney's request to review registrations; neither has responded.
- Whether the U.S. Attorney's Office produces additional evidence beyond the Muckraker video, which shows discussion but no one being registered.
- The fate of the DOJ's election litigation, including the rejected California mail-ballot bid and any further appeals.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedDNC spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández called the allegations “fabricated” and “inspired by right-wing operatives.”Axios: “He called the allegations "fabricated" and "inspired by right-wing operatives."”
- SupportedHelen Purcell said, “It just seems like we keep seeing these little steps to confuse people.”Axios: “"It just seems like we keep seeing these little steps to confuse people," Purcell says.”
- SupportedCourchaine wrote that it “appears these organizations … may have violated” state law.Axios: “Courchaine wrote that it "appears these organizations … may have violated" a state law about knowingly registering ineligible persons.”
- SupportedThe appeals court called the department’s claims “not credible.”Axios: “saying the department's claims it suspects them of being noncitizens was "not credible."”
- SupportedThe Justice Department is investigating the Arizona voter-registration efforts of three Democratic-aligned groups.Axios: “The Justice Department is investigating the Arizona voter registration efforts of three Democratic-aligned groups”
- SupportedThe investigation follows an undercover video purported to show volunteers willing to register non-citizens.Axios: “after an "undercover" video purported to show volunteers willing to register non-citizens.”
- SupportedThe announcement came four days before the Nov. 3 election.Axios: “The Friday announcement comes four days before the Nov. 3 election”
- SupportedThe U.S. Attorney’s Office opened a case into recent reporting about the groups and referred the matter to the FBI.Axios: “the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona announced it has "opened a case into recent reporting about three non-profit organizations registering non-citizens to vote in Arizona."”
- SupportedCourchaine asked the Maricopa County recorder and Arizona secretary of state to review registrations submitted by the groups.Axios: “U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine asked both men for "a review of registrations submitted by these groups to ensure only United States Citizens were registered to vote."”
- SupportedThe DOJ has sued 30 states and D.C. for detailed voter registration records and has lost every case decided so far.Axios: “The DOJ has sued 30 states and D.C. seeking detailed voter registration records and has lost in every case decided so far.”
- SupportedA federal appeals court rejected the DOJ’s bid to set aside mail ballots from 20,000 California voters.Axios: “a federal appeals court rejected Friday its bid to set aside mail ballots from 20,000 California voters”
- SupportedThe video does not show anyone being registered, only discussing it.Axios: “However, the video does not show them registering anyone, only discussing it.”