Minnesota Secretary of State Calls Bondi Letter "Disturbing" and a "Ransom Note"

AG Bondi's Letter and Voter Roll Request

• 📌 Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon describes a letter from Attorney General Pam Bondi as "pretty disturbing" and a "ransom note."
• ✉️ The letter, sent hours after the killing of Alex Prey, requested Governor Tim Walz to take specific actions, including granting federal access to Minnesota's voter rolls.
• 🚫 Simon states unequivocally that Minnesota will not provide its voter rolls to the federal government, citing state and federal laws.

Ongoing Legal Battles Over Voter Data

• ⚖️ This is not the first request; the Department of Justice previously asked 42 states, including Minnesota, for voter roll information, which includes sensitive data like social security and driver's license numbers.
• 🏛️ 32 states, including Minnesota, have refused this request, leading to ongoing litigation.
• 🗓️ A court hearing on this matter is scheduled in a few weeks, and Minnesota intends to fight the request in court.

Concerns Over Tactics and Scope

• ⚠️ Simon criticizes the AG's letter for linking the voter roll request to a cessation of hostilities or a return to normalcy, calling the implication disturbing.
• ❓ He questions the justification for linking voter rolls to public safety, immigration, or federal agency tactics, deeming it "out of left field."
• 🎯 The Secretary of State emphasizes that Minnesota's voter rolls are clean, and the state's elections are fair, accurate, honest, and secure, backed by high voter turnout and minimal post-election litigation.

Broader Context of Operations in Minnesota

• 📉 Simon describes the last six weeks in Minnesota as "grim and challenging," with operations veering off their original path.
• 🚫 He states that if the operations were truly targeted at the worst offenders who are in the country illegally and have committed serious crimes, he would have supported them.
• 🚨 However, he observes that the current tactics are unnecessarily brutal, cruel, and sweeping, involving dragnet operations in various public and private spaces, leading to violence and death.