For immediate release.
July 25, 2025
As a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander with 21 years of service in counterterrorism and foreign policy, and now as a candidate for Governor of Minnesota in 2026, I am outraged and deeply troubled by the blatant obstructionism displayed by Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Secretary of State Steve Simon in refusing to cooperate with the U.S. Department of Justice’s legitimate request for access to our state’s voter registration rolls. Their defiant rejection, announced today on July 25, 2025, is not just a slap in the face to federal authority—it’s a dangerous signal that they have something to hide, reinforcing the highly probable reality that Minnesota’s voter rolls are riddled with compromises, including ineligible voters, deceased individuals, and multi-state registrations that enable voter fraud.
Let me be crystal clear: Federal officials absolutely have the authority—and the duty—to investigate state voter rolls under multiple longstanding laws designed to protect the integrity of our elections. The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 explicitly empowers the U.S. Attorney General to enforce accurate list maintenance and pursue civil actions against non-compliant states, including access to records for verification. The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 mandates computerized, accurate voter databases and grants the DOJ enforcement powers to ensure states remove ineligible voters like noncitizens and felons. President Trump’s Executive Order on Preserving Election Integrity, issued March 25, 2025, further directs the DOJ to scrutinize rolls for compliance and prosecute violations, building on constitutional powers under Article I, Section 4, to oversee federal elections. Even the Voting Rights Act provides investigative tools against discriminatory or flawed practices. These are not optional requests; they are backed by federal law, court precedents, and a history of DOJ actions against states failing to maintain clean rolls. Walz, Ellison, and Simon’s claim of “no legal justification” is a smokescreen, ignoring these clear authorities and risking federal lawsuits that Minnesota taxpayers will foot the bill for.
Their stonewalling only amplifies the evidence that our voter rolls are compromised and that voter fraud is occurring right here in Minnesota. Independent analyses, such as the 2024 Election Watch report, have uncovered over 120,000 active registrations with glaring issues: invalid addresses, out-of-state moves without updates, and potential duplicates that scream multi-state fraud opportunities. We’ve seen proven cases of ballots cast in the names of deceased voters, as documented in state audits and the Heritage Foundation’s fraud database, which lists dozens of Minnesota incidents since 2000. Noncitizen voting risks have surged with automatic registration policies, and felons remain on rolls despite daily checks that clearly aren’t catching everything. My own investigations into data manipulations—linking inflated education budgets, population counts, and now voter rolls—point to a systemic pattern of fraud benefiting entrenched insiders. High turnout anomalies in 2024 counties over 100%? Rare prosecutions for fake registrations? This isn’t coincidence; it’s corruption. By blocking federal oversight, these officials are essentially admitting the rolls are dirty, eroding public trust and diluting the votes of honest Minnesotans.
As Governor, I will demand full transparency, independent audits, and cooperation with federal authorities to purge these ineligible entries and restore faith in our elections. Minnesotans deserve better than leaders who prioritize power over integrity. Tim, Keith, and Steve: Step aside or step up—your games end now.
With unwavering integrity and dedication,
Phillip C. Parrish
Candidate for Governor of Minnesota, 2026
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