Red State Governor Complains About Trump DOJ’s Election Monitors, Orders Review

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, a Republican, has asked Attorney General Keith Kautz to review the conduct of two U.S. Department of Justice officials who monitored polling sites in Laramie County during the state’s August 18 primary elections. The review has raised eyebrows, as the Trump Administration has stated that the monitors have been deployed nationwide in order to cut down on fraud and ensure election integrity.

The monitors, both of whom are attorneys from the DOJ Civil Rights Division, arrived at a polling location in Cheyenne around 7 a.m. without prior notice to county or most state officials, according to Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee. They identified themselves as election monitors, though they did not initially present credentials. Lee said they asked questions about poll worker training, including its nature, length and timing, requested training guides, inquired how the county acquired new election equipment, and sought to examine tabulators.

They also asked to interview voters to assess compliance with federal civil rights and voting rights laws. Lee denied the interview request and the request to inspect equipment.

Gordon raised the issue at a Wednesday state canvassing board meeting that certified the primary results. He described the observers’ behavior as “a bit aggressive” and “irregular.” He said their actions “seemed to exceed what the authority that Congress had given them was.”

Gordon stated that he was not objecting to the presence of observers and described the election’s conduct as “phenomenal” and above board. “I feel very strongly about the federal government coming in and taking our guns. I don’t like that. I don’t like the federal government coming in and taking our votes, either,” he added.

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🚨Weird News: Wyoming Republican Mark Gordon is complaining about the behavior of Justice Department officials who observed the state’s primary elections last week calling it “irregular” and “aggressive” pic.twitter.com/aLJs5CyARi

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In a later interview he called the activity “aggressive, unexpected, disruptive” and said it “certainly didn’t seem to show respect for the state.” A spokesperson confirmed Friday that Kautz, whom Gordon appointed, is conducting a fact-finding review of the visits. Officials have not claimed the monitoring affected election results.

Wyoming law permits certified poll watchers to observe registration and turnout but does not provide a specific category for federal monitors of this type. Lee said a DOJ official later told her the deployment was decided on short notice and that an email may have been sent to the wrong address. Secretary of State Chuck Gray said his office received an email but had no further communication. Gray noted that Wyoming law “does provide for observation” and that public reporting indicated that the U.S. attorney for Wyoming had been notified

DOJ election monitors are Civil Rights Division attorneys deployed under the department’s general enforcement authority for statutes including the Voting Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Help America Vote Act and National Voter Registration Act. They differ from federal observers authorized by court order under Section 3(a) of the Voting Rights Act, who have broader access inside polling places. Monitors typically observe from outside or with local consent, take notes on compliance, and lack law-enforcement power.

This year the department has sent more than 80 monitors to seven states during primaries and has stated plans to deploy about 1,000 nationwide in November.

In response to Wyoming’s inquiry, the DOJ stated that the Wyoming monitors were sent “to ensure transparency, ballot security, and strict compliance with federal voting rights statutes.” U.S. Attorney Darin Smith said voters “deserve absolute confidence that their ballots are secure and their voices are heard without interference.

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