House Republicans Demand Answers from New Jersey Governor on Noncitizen Voter Registration

<p>A coalition of House Republicans is increasing its efforts to obtain information regarding New Jersey's noncitizen voter-registration issue. Lawmakers claim that Governor Mikie Sherrill did not adequately respond to their inquiries and instead criticized former President Donald Trump.</p><p>Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a member of the Republican Study Committee from New Jersey, stated that there will be consequences following Sherrill's response, which he described as "snarky" and politicized, failing to address the lawmakers' questions.</p><p>"The response that we got from the governor was almost like she took a political mailer and embossed it upon her official letterhead," Van Drew said. "As governor of the state of New Jersey, it was beneath her, it was beneath me, and it was unfortunate."</p><p>Lawmakers' original inquiry focused on how the registration failure occurred, its potential consequences, and how New Jersey plans to prevent a similar issue in the future.</p><p>The July 24 letter from several Republican Study Committee members, led by Van Drew and Chairman August Pfluger, posed 12 specific questions regarding the registration failure and its implications.</p><p>Sherrill responded that notifications have been sent to affected residents, but Van Drew indicated that the overall response did not address Congress’ concerns.</p><p>"We're not done with this," Van Drew stated.</p><p>He is planning a hearing as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee’s Oversight Subcommittee, where expert witnesses are expected to testify.</p><p>Van Drew is collaborating with the full committee, under Chairman Jim Jordan, to obtain the requested information from Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, New Jersey's elections chief.</p><p>"If there's a complete lack of cooperation after we build up a case, there is a possibility, it's not definite," Van Drew said. "But if they're not, we do, in my opinion, have to look at subpoenas as well."</p><p>Sherrill defended her administration while criticizing Congress, Trump, and the Republican-backed SAVE America Act.</p><p>"Washington Republicans … seem much more concerned with using the issue for political gain than they are with protecting our elections," Sherrill wrote, accusing several signatories of supporting Trump’s efforts to undermine the election system and noting that seven had challenged electoral votes after the 2020 election.</p><p>Sherrill also disputed the Republicans’ assertion that the SAVE America Act would have prevented the error, stating, "I encourage you to become more familiar with the legislation you have cosponsored." She raised concerns about privacy and the potential for abuse of power regarding proposals to expand the federal government’s role in voter registration, including a centralized voter registry.</p><p>Van Drew commented on New Jersey's motor-voter law, which allows individuals to be automatically registered to vote, stating, "First of all, New Jersey is a sanctuary state… Illegal criminals shouldn't be even in the state. But now we find out that illegals were also obviously having the ability to register to vote and were being registered and some of them actually were voting."</p><p>The White House also criticized Sherrill’s response, calling it "laughable" that she would blame the Trump administration for election integrity issues.</p><p>"[This] after she and her fellow Democrats have denied for years that non-citizens are registering and voting in our elections," said White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis.</p><p>Sherrill's spokesperson, Sean Higgins, countered the criticisms, stating that the governor's reply detailed how Trenton acted transparently and accountably to address the error from 2023.</p><p>"But Republicans are more interested in playing political games. Considering that Jeff Van Drew's campaign employed an operative convicted of voter fraud, bribery, and blackmail, he might not be the best voice on what is too ‘political’ on this topic," Higgins said, referencing a 2020 report about ex-Atlantic City council president Craig Callaway.</p><p>Pfluger stated that Sherrill spent "three pages on political theater and barely a sentence answering our questions," adding that she "dodged" whether any elections were decided by fewer votes than the number of illegal ballots cast.</p><p>"We are not letting this story get buried. It is high time we pass the SAVE America Act to ensure our elections are secure, transparent, and worthy of the public's trust," he said.</p><p>Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., the most senior member of the state delegation and an RSC colleague, emphasized that Trenton must provide Congress with complete transparency and a corrective path forward.</p><p>"Secure elections are the bedrock of democracy; we must take all steps necessary to ensure that votes are cast only by those who have a right to vote," Smith stated.</p><p>The inquiry will continue along several tracks, with Van Drew's subcommittee preparing a hearing, the Judiciary Committee seeking additional state records, and lawmakers considering further compulsory actions as separate executive branch scrutiny continues.</p>