Trump administration sues Georgia over redacted voter information

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s run for governor was always going to be tricky given his conflict with President Donald Trump over Georgia’s 2020 election results. Now, he’ll have to navigate the Republican primary while simultaneously fighting the administration in court.

The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday sued Georgia, two other states and the District of Columbia for not handing over its voter registration data as it seeks to verify compliance with the National Voter Registration Act.

Georgia officials sent the data to the Justice Department on Dec. 8. But they didn’t send everything because of a state law forbidding the secretary of state from sharing voters’ birthdays, driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers.

The law includes an exception for the federal government, but only if it is “authorized to maintain such information” and is used for limited purposes.

“Hardworking Georgians can rest easy knowing this data was shared strictly in accordance with state law that protect voters’ privacy,” Raffensperger said in a statement.

But Raffensperger’s response has angered Harmeet Dhillon, the Trump administration’s top civil rights lawyer, who interpreted it as the state telling her to “go pound sand.”

Dhillon posted a video on social media announcing the lawsuit, saying Georgia had refused to comply with the request “so that we can help those jurisdictions and all states ensure that only American citizens are voting only one time in our federal elections, every election cycle.”

In a letter to Dhillon earlier this month, Raffensperger’s office noted Georgia verifies the U.S. citizenship of all registered voters. It also said Georgia was the first state to conduct a full citizenship audit of its voter list, finding 20 non-U.S. citizens who had registered prior to the 2024 presidential election.

The department is also suing the District of Columbia, Illinois and Wisconsin for not handing over requested data as part of its quest to obtain unredacted voter files from every state. The department has now filed 22 lawsuits seeking voter information, mostly targeting Democratic-led states.

Friday news quiz

Credit: Evan Vucci/AP

Credit: Evan Vucci/AP

Good morning! Georgia’s legislative session doesn’t start for another 24 days. To tide you over, try our news quiz to see how well you paid attention this week. You’ll find the answers at the end of this newsletter.

The Trump administration recently slashed the minimum wage for migrant farmworkers in Georgia on H-2A visas. Georgia has the second-most number of farmworkers on this visa. What state has the top spot?

The Georgia Office of Inspector General determined State Election Board Vice Chair Janice Johnston violated the board’s code of conduct. Why?

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources used a federal grant to acquire a portion of endangered forest land near the Alabama border. Where did the grant money come from?

The New York Times published a phone call between Donald Trump and the late Georgia House Speaker David Ralston this week. On the call, what insult did Trump use to refer to Gov. Brian Kemp?

College incentive?

Credit: Screenshot

Credit: Screenshot

How far are Georgia politicians willing to go for economic development? An Atlanta-based entrepreneur is trying to find out.

David Cummings this week made his case to lawmakers about using coveted slots at Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia as an incentive for entrepreneurs to keep their best ideas in state.

He said Georgia could design a program that encourages entrepreneurs to create a certain number of jobs at a certain salary in a certain geographic area. If so, then the entrepreneurs’ children would have guaranteed admission to one of the state’s flagship research universities provided they also met certain academic standards.

“What would that be worth to economic development?” he asked.

It’s becoming more difficult for students to make it into those two schools, especially with Georgia’s generous lottery-funded scholarships making tuition more affordable for more people.

Cummings admitted the idea is likely outside lawmakers’ “comfort zone,” but added “you better believe there a lot of bulldogs and Georgia Tech yellow jackets out there that this would motivate them.”

Power up

Credit: Anna Girzone for the AJC

Credit: Anna Girzone for the AJC

Don’t be surprised if data center legislation emerges as one of the most heated debates this session — and during the 2026 midterms.

Democrat Jason Esteves got a jump on the trend this week when he vowed to end taxpayer subsidies for the construction of data centers and require them to pay “their fair share” for energy projects if elected governor.

“I support any economic development project that creates good paying jobs in the state. Especially if they are union jobs,” said the former state senator. “What I don’t support is giving a blank check to big corporations and billionaires.”

He went on to slam Gov. Brian Kemp and the Republican-controlled Public Service Commission for “rubber-stamping higher utility costs for years.”

That brought a rejoinder from Kemp’s office, which touted a tentative agreement between Georgia Power and state regulators for a massive expansion while promising to put “downward pressure” on rates.

“While former Senator Esteves is focused on breathing life into his failing campaign, he should be focused on the facts,” said Kemp spokesman Carter Chapman.

“Rates have been frozen since summer for three years and incremental revenues from large-load customers are projected to save the average residential customer approximately $102 on their bill per year.”

Fentanyl response

Credit: AJC file photo

Credit: AJC file photo

The Georgia-based CEO of the American Addiction Recovery Association commended the Trump administration’s designation of fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction.” He just wants to make sure the drug’s victims don’t get caught in the proverbial crossfire.

President Donald Trump’s declaration on Monday was seen as an attempt to bolster his administration’s defense of using the U.S. military to destroy suspected drug-smuggling boats.

Jeff Breedlove, who was once an aide to former Georgia Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, said the next step is to have “a national discussion on how to fund programs to help Americans who are in active addiction.”

“America is strong enough to distinguish between a legitimate threat to our nation and how to provide effective, humane and sustainable medical treatment to those great Americans in the grip of active addiction,” he told our AJC colleague Ariel Hart.

Breedlove has a well-publicized backstory of a yearslong drug addiction culminating in an arrest and treatment.

“As essential as it is to address the narco-terrorists, it’s equally essential to support people and families who are victims of those very narco-terrorists,” he said.

Mysterious decline

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Fewer children are enrolling in Georgia’s pre-K program and state officials don’t know why.

Georgia’s pre-K program dates back 30 years and is paid for by money from the state’s lottery. Before the pandemic, about 80,000 4-year-olds were enrolled. But while other programs have since returned to normal, including attendance at child care learning centers, statewide pre-K enrollment is getting smaller. This year just 68,000 4-year-olds were enrolled.

“We are studying this,” Amy Jacobs, commissioner for the Department of Early Care and Learning, told lawmakers on Thursday.

Georgia’s pre-K program is free and lasts 6.5 hours during the day. If parents need care before or after the school day, they would have to pay for that. But there is a state subsidy program to help defray the cost. Parents also could have to pay for meals while their children are at school, but the price is capped.

“It’s a very small fee, compared to the cost of child care in general,” Jacobs said.

The decline mirrors what is happening in elementary schools across metro Atlanta, where declining enrollments are prompting some districts to close schools.

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Warnock responds to Trump

Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/AP

President Donald Trump must have caught a clip of U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s "Meet the Press" appearance on Sunday a few days late, because he posted a long tirade about the Georgia senator on his Truth Social account on Wednesday afternoon.

The president seemed to take particular offense that Warnock noted he would be headed to lead services at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta immediately after the interview and spoke about how his faith and political career intersect.

The president said the interview was another instance of media bias that may need federal review.

“Warnock is a bad guy, and NBC News, which is second only to ABC Fake News for being the worst, should be ashamed of themselves in allowing garbage ‘interviews’ with untalented and uncaring people to take place,” Trump wrote. “The Public airwaves, which these Networks are using at no charge, should not be allowed to get away with this any longer!”

Warnock, who is also a pastor, responded with his own social media post — a video where he defended his faith and questioned Trump’s faith.

“Mr. President, my faith is not a weapon, it’s a bridge,” Warnock said. “And I invite you to Bible study; maybe you can meet the Jesus I know. In the meantime, I’m going to keep fighting for the people.”

Today in Washington

Credit: Evan Vucci/AP

Credit: Evan Vucci/AP

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Before you go

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Answers to this week’s news quiz:

That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.