Sherrill escalates Trump fight over voter fiasco day after Mullin praises NJ cooperation
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill criticized the Trump administration Wednesday while releasing findings from her investigation into thousands of ineligible voters improperly registered in the state.
Sherrill’s critique came one day after DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued a statement thanking her for agreeing to cooperate with his agency on the matter — an assertion a Democratic source disputed.
Sherrill has faced criticism since mid-July, when she revealed that thousands of noncitizens were found on voting rolls because of a "software error" in the way the state Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) registers voters, commonly called the "motor voter" process. Sherrill’s findings said about 5,100 registrations were placed in deleted status, while thousands of others remain under review.
"My administration has continued to move aggressively to fix the error at the Motor Vehicle Commission under the previous (Trenton) administration, to correct our voter rolls, and to protect the voting rights of eligible New Jerseyans," Sherrill said Wednesday, adding that her probe is "what accountable government looks like."
"That stands in contrast to the Trump Administration and Republicans, whose only interest has been in trying to use this issue for political gain," Sherrill said.
Mullin said Tuesday that Sherrill had agreed to participate with DHS in "stopping aliens from illegally voting in your state," citing correspondence from counsel for the state’s elections chief, Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell.
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"Thank you, Governor Sherrill. We got news from your Secretary of State that New Jersey will participate with DHS in STOPPING aliens from illegally voting in your state," Mullin tweeted.
"The 35,000 potential registered aliens [DHS] identified may only be the beginning. [I] look forward to helping NJ identify illegal voters and ensure election integrity."
But a source familiar with the matter said they weren’t sure what Mullin was referencing and reiterated that there is no cooperation agreement between the Sherrill administration and DHS or the Trump administration.
The source said the only correspondence from Trenton to Washington was a response from Caldwell’s office to a letter from House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., and fellow New Jerseyan Rep. Jeff Van Drew — and that Mullin may have been referring to it.
Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
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When reached for comment, Sherrill spokesperson Darwin Pham said the governor "remains focused on safe and secure elections in New Jersey, in contrast to Trump and Republicans, who have consistently tried to use this issue for political gain."
"We will continue working to fully remediate the issue left behind by the previous (Trenton) administration, and ensure the voting rights of every eligible New Jerseyan are protected."
The White House dismissed Sherrill's criticism, saying she and Democrats have denied for years that noncitizens are registering and voting in elections.
"It’s laughable for Governor Sherrill to criticize the Trump Administration on election integrity..." White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said.
In her announcement, Sherrill said about 5,100 names in the voter registration system were "placed in deleted status" because they had no other eligibility "attestations" beyond their original registration, which the state said was erroneous.
Those names lacked further declarations of eligibility to vote. Sherrill previously said individuals who selected "no" in response to whether they were citizens were still added to the rolls.
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An additional 1,450 registrants had their status changed to "rejected" pending county officials’ review of their documentation before they can vote. Sherrill’s report said just under 400 people who were wrongfully registered cast ballots in recent elections.
"These individuals have been removed from New Jersey voter rolls because they were placed on the rolls in error," Sherrill’s office said Wednesday.
Republicans, meanwhile, said Sherrill’s announcement raises more questions than answers about problems in the Garden State’s election system and how the state plans to address them.
"New Jerseyans deserve to know exactly what happened, how it happened, and whether there are other problems we have yet to uncover," Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco, R-Boonton, told Fox News Digital.
"Restoring confidence in our elections will require complete transparency from the state, cooperation from all necessary parties, and a commitment to leaving no stone unturned."
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Bucco said he has already proposed forming a bipartisan select committee with subpoena power that would also work with the federal government on the issue.
Senate Majority Leader Nicholas Scutari, D-Scotch Plains, previously told Fox News Digital the legislature will wait until Sherrill’s probe is complete before identifying "any necessary next steps."
Bucco, however, said Sherrill’s announcement still leaves "many serious questions" about the veracity of her probe and what changes will be made to secure New Jersey elections.
"Like, why is the investigation limited, and how can anyone say with confidence that only 6,600 non-citizens were improperly registered? New Jerseyans deserve to know exactly what happened, how it happened, and whether there are other problems we have yet to uncover," Bucco told Fox News Digital.
Sherrill instructed county officials to continue reviewing names referred to them before early voting begins for the midterms.
Mullin’s office also identified four noncitizens it said illegally cast ballots in recent elections — an Israeli national, a Jamaican national, a Liberian national and an Indian national — and said each faces charges.