New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is once again at the center of a major election-integrity controversy — this time after the U.S. Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit accusing her of illegally blocking access to the state’s voter registration database. Instead of complying with federal law, Toulouse Oliver — who is campaigning for lieutenant governor — is now attacking the DOJ and framing basic election-integrity oversight as a political assault.
Toulouse Oliver responded on X immediately after the lawsuit was announced, claiming the federal action is “part of the Trump administration’s assault on free and fair elections” and accusing “a weaponized Justice Department” of demanding voter information she insists is protected under state law.
“We have already made available to them the public data federal law requires,” she wrote. “They are seeking access to sensitive data that’s simply not needed to comply with voter list maintenance and which is protected by state law.”
But the DOJ’s complaint — filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico — tells a very different story. As Piñon Post previously reported, the federal government is seeking New Mexico’s full statewide voter registration list (SVRL) as part of an investigation into whether the state is complying with long-standing federal requirements under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960.
Federal law, the DOJ emphasizes, imposes a “sweeping obligation on election officials” to preserve and provide election records upon request. The complaint cites 52 U.S.C. § 20703 directly: “Any record or paper required… shall, upon demand in writing… be made available for inspection, reproduction, and copying.”
The DOJ says it issued precisely such a demand on September 8, 2025, requiring Toulouse Oliver to provide an electronic copy of the complete voter file — including the name, date of birth, address, and, as required under HAVA, either the voter’s driver’s license number, last four digits of their Social Security number, or other identifying information. That very data, DOJ notes, is explicitly exempt from Privacy Act restrictions when used for election administration.
The Justice Department also made clear in writing that all records would be secured under standard federal privacy safeguards: “The requested records will be maintained consistent with Privacy Act protections.”
Despite those assurances, Toulouse Oliver rejected the lawful request on September 23, claiming state law forbids her from sharing the information. The DOJ states bluntly: “Secretary Toulouse Oliver refused to provide the records requested.”
Federal officials say this refusal directly violates federal election law — and undermines oversight intended to ensure New Mexico is accurately maintaining its rolls and removing ineligible voters. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, announcing the lawsuits filed against New Mexico and five other Democrat-run states, warned that too many states have slipped into “noncompliance with basic voter roll maintenance.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon was even more direct:
“Our federal elections laws ensure every American citizen may vote freely and fairly. States that continue to defy federal voting laws interfere with our mission of ensuring that Americans have accurate voter lists as they go to the polls, that every vote counts equally, and that all voters have confidence in election results. At this Department of Justice, we will not stand for this open defiance of federal civil rights laws.”
The lawsuit seeks a court order finding Toulouse Oliver in violation of federal law and compelling her to turn over the complete voter list within five days of the ruling.
In her public defense, Toulouse Oliver continues to insist that New Mexico runs “the most secure, accurate, and voter-focused” elections in the country — a claim her spokesperson Alex Curtas repeated to local media despite providing no documentation to support it. He argued the state is “legally prevented” from releasing the voter data and that the Secretary “will not compromise the safety of New Mexico’s voter data.”
But the DOJ flatly rejects those talking points, writing that federal statutes override any conflicting state provisions. “The written demand contained a statement of the basis and the purpose therefor,” the complaint states, and as an “officer of election,” Toulouse Oliver is required to comply.
Ultimately, this lawsuit highlights a now-familiar pattern: Toulouse Oliver resisting transparency, fighting federal oversight, and elevating partisan narratives over basic election-integrity obligations. If the court sides with the Justice Department, New Mexico may be forced to turn over the voter registration list immediately—an outcome that would expose just how far Toulouse Oliver went to defy federal law in the name of political posturing.
If she didn’t have anything to hide she wouldn’t be worried and would comply.she has made herself look guilty. HA HA SHEBIS NOT TO SMART
Nailed it!
Busted
Take her down!
MTO’s words: ““part of the Trump administration’s assault on free and fair elections”
My Words: “part of the Trump administration’s restoration of free and fair elections”
She needs more time to hide all those “Lost Ballots Boxes” from the last few elections
Last I heard federal law overrides state law. She has no choice but to comply. Go Pam Bondi.
Those results will be very interesting. Judicial Watch has been suing and winning in other states. Multitudes of ineligible voters found that had not been purged. I have never trusted Ms. Oliver and my suspicions are only validated by every state agency asking if you had registered to vote, especially the DVM and social services.
if you have nothing to hide, if you have managed your office with integrity and transparency you would comply with the law. I smell a rat a big rat a democrat.
Thank you US Dept of Justice. I will never know where my vote went ! However she has never asked to purge the files which has not been completed in years. Get those files and find the fraud.
Voter fraud=treason. She needs to be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!!
There will be lots of fraud, of course. Most of the cheating happens after the polls close.
I think the ‘lady’ doth protest too much. Obviously trying to hide fraud and years of fraud. How else could DemoRats get into office and stay in office for decades without there being hanki-panki? NM having the most honest and reliable election of any state?? LOLOLOLOL If so,then she wouldn’t hesitate to comply with the Federal request. And NO, State law doesn’t override Federal. And she wants to be Lt Gov.? Heaven help NM, land of entrapment.
Once again, democrats accusing of others of doing what they have done or are planning to do.
Exactly. Theyre freaking out because they will be shown to not be in compliance in the least.
The Democrats in N.M. are turning it into a Third World country . They all should be tried for treason . Open Borders , voter fraud, corruption in our Public Assistance programs , the list goes on .
TOO loose!
In 2023 a Voting Law was passed to automatically register to vote those who interact with certain State agencies with OPTING OUT not permitted in the moment. A form or card comes in the mail and then and only then is opting out permitted. Republicans attempted to amend bill on House Floor to allow opting out to no avail. So some unqualified to vote will always be on that list and they will not return that opt out form because of ICE.
Lock her up and throw away the key. Disgusting Communist.
She is deleting files as fast as she can, CYA TOLOUSE, the jig is up. Now the playing field might level out for NM republicans.
The NM Constitution and Statehood IS ABSOLUTELY subordinate to the US Federal Government ever since January 6, 1912 when New Mexico was granted statehood. It’s part of that LEGAL DEAL.
The problem that New Mexico has is that for 20 years now… the EMERGE infestation has trained and helped those that swear allegiance to EMERGE instead of the US Constitution — to become Legislators, Prosecutors, Judges, Mayors, Committee Members, Council Members and heads of worthless Money Laundering NGO’s that are bleeding New Mexicans dry.
Why else would the beyond criminal activity of our Governor signing an Executive Order to allow the heads of departments to ERASE email correspondence after only 30 days???
When ALL the correspondence, for ALL the departments and agencies of NM for several DECADES…
Would fit on a single ONE Terabyte Thumb Drive with plenty of room left over…
WHY?
When our current Sovereign Fund has $68,000,000,000.00 and NM is the 2nd richest state in America — we can’t afford a $65 Thumb Drive to store OFFICIAL correspondence???
But Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham added an additional $10 million request for the construction of a SECOND reproductive health clinic in Northern New Mexico.
It’s not a Reproductive Health Clinic it’s a baby slaughterhouse, also known as an abattoir.
The first $10M of taxpayer money for the baby abattoir in Las Cruces is stumbling along because builders are refusing to provide equipment and materials for its construction… what does that tell you?
Well, in general, criminals like to cover their tracks don’t they?
Can New Mexico ALLOW even more EMERGE pledglings get elected to serve themselves instead of the constituents they were elected to SERVE???
Sure they can — but MTO made a critical mistake, she turned over the NM Voter Records — that she thought would get the Feds off her back… but now that the COMPLETE records have to be turned over — if New Mexico is lucky, her bid to become the Lieutenant Governor of our beautiful state… might become more interesting…
That campaign might just need to be run out of the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility, where she can get help from some of her fellow EMERGE transgendering inmates.
If you are a Common Sense Person, and you do nothing about all this, you’ll soon be able to see the writing on the wall… it reads:
“New Mexico Becomes the First Communist State in America”
John 11:35
Google that… it’s the shortest verse ever.
Instead of filing the lawsuit against Saggy Tooloose Oliver the DOJ should have offered the obese slob a dozen donuts to turn the voter info over.
On the one hand you have people who reregister in NM and when they do, the double registration in the other location should be terminated. But in the case of illegals registering, those can be flagged with Federal database information. And if people are double registering across state lines that should show up too. And if those same people voted twice, then I guess that will also show up.
There’s going to be hell to pay for the fraudulent voting that has been going on. And I’m going to look forward to it.