PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore on Friday accused the US Department of Justice of trying to intimidate him and other election officials ahead of the midterm elections.
On July 7, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon wrote to Amore and others, warning that any election officer who knowingly retains noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls or allows them to cast ballots could be charged with a crime. She then offered to help Rhode Island comply with federal election laws.
Amore, an East Providence Democrat, responded in a letter Friday, saying, “I am well aware of the federal election laws applicable to me and other state and local election officials in Rhode Island. We will continue to follow federal and state election laws like we always have.”
In a statement, Amore said, “The letter’s true intention was obvious: to intimidate election officials in an effort to make us fall in line with the administration’s unconstitutional overreaches into election administration. This letter comes on the heels of failure after failure on their part.”
Noncitizens voting in US elections is illegal and experts say it is “exceedingly rare,” but President Trump has claimed without evidence it is widespread while wrongly asserting that fraud cost him reelection in 2020.
In December, Trump’s Department of Justice sued Rhode Island and other states, trying to get them to hand over voter records that include driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. A federal judge dismissed the case, calling it a “fishing expedition,” and the Department of Justice appealed.
“Whether in court or in Congress, the administration has consistently met opposition — because in fact, they are the ones not complying with the law,” Amore said. “Now, intimidation and bullying is all that’s left in their playbook.”
The Department of Justice letter focuses on the state’s ability to maintain accurate voter lists. But Amore said voter list maintenance has been a “continuous priority” since he took office in 2023.
In addition to regular maintenance efforts, he said his office sent a voter list maintenance letter to all registered voters in the state in November 2025 — the first such statewide mailing in more than 10 years. Also, he noted that Rhode Island takes part in information-sharing agreements with other states to keep voter lists up-to-date and identify potential instances of election fraud.
“I want Rhode Islanders to hear this directly from me: The actions of this administration are intended to undermine your trust in our elections processes,” Amore said. “This is unacceptable. Rhode Islanders should feel confident in the security of elections.”
He emphasized that one of the most fundamental rights of citizens is the right to vote.
“I continue to be disturbed by the administration’s fixation on ‘solving’ problems that simply do not exist,” Amore said, “and the lack of prioritization of efforts that actually secure our elections, such as fully funding the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.”
He said anyone with evidence of voter fraud or election security concerns should contact his office so it can investigate.
“However, I am confident this letter is meant only to make me afraid to do my duty — ensuring all eligible Rhode Islanders are able to cast their ballot — and not based on any factual issue," Amore said.
In her letter, Dhillon said she was writing to notify Amore of the federal laws applicable to state and local election officials “to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections.”
“Any election officer, including the chief election officer of the state, who knowingly retains noncitizens on the (State Voter Registration List) or facilitates noncitizens in receiving and casting ballots could be subject to criminal liability,” Dhillon wrote. “An intentional act that is aimed at diluting the votes of citizens could also constitute a violation of (federal law), which makes it unlawful for two or more persons to conspire to injure any person in the exercise of that person’s constitutional rights.”
Dhillon encouraged Amore to contact the Department of Justice “to discuss what steps your state should take to maintain clean voter lists as required by law.”
John M. Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, said the letter amounts to “nothing more than a thinly veiled threat to Rhode Island’s secretary of state.”
“The Trump administration continues to try and put its thumb on the scale against free and fair elections,” he said, “from bullying states into conducting mid-decade redistricting, to its unsuccessful attempts to get the unredacted voter rolls, to (Thursday’s) firing of the remaining commissioners serving on the Election Assistance Commission.”
Marion said Amore was right to dismiss the Department of Justice letter as “an attempt to intimidate those who are attempting to make sure our elections are free and fair.”
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.