U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon directed the preservation of ballots and election-related records in Maryland, after President Donald Trump called for a Justice Department investigation into the state’s mail-in ballot system.
On May, 18, Trump ordered acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Justice Department to investigate the matter.
Maryland election officials claim that thousands of voters received 500,000 fake and fraudulent mail-in ballots to go out, allegedly due to a printing and mailing error.
The issue affected mail-in ballots sent before May 14, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections.
Officials said some voters received ballot packets intended for different voter segments or the wrong party ballot.
Dhillon called on the state’s Democrat governor, Wes Moore, on May 22, to preserve all “true and correct copies” of ballots and other records related to the scandal.
“In Maryland, they sent out 500,000 Illegal Mail In Ballots, and they got caught!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, who accused Moore of being responsible for the 500,000 ballots and that state officials were attempting to benefit Democrats politically.
“This was done by the Corrupt Governor of the State, Wes Moore,” Trump’s post continued.
“He allowed this to happen in order to make sure that Democrats win. It never made sense to me that Maryland was considered an automatic Democrat State, but now I see why. I’m sure this has gone on for years.”
Maryland election officials disputed Trump’s characterization of the ballots as “illegal,” saying the issue stemmed from a vendor error rather than confirmed voter fraud.
“The State and Local Boards of Elections remain committed to running an election that is verified, secure and accurate,” Maryland State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis said in a statement.
“Mail-in voting is an integral facet of the electoral process,” he added.
DeMarinis said replacement ballots would be mailed to affected voters to “eliminate any doubt” about the integrity and accuracy of the election process.
The state’s ballot vendor, Taylor Print & Visual Impressions Inc., acknowledged responsibility for the error, and said replacement ballots would be mailed by May 29.
“A portion of voters received ballot packets intended for a different voter segment,” the company said in a statement.
The vendor said election officials have safeguards in place to ensure only corrected replacement ballots are counted, though specific procedures were not publicly disclosed.
The controversy renewed Republican criticism of Maryland’s election administration and voter rolls.
Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters said the scandal highlighted concerns about election management in the state and that the RNC’s election integrity unit would deploy local legal experts to secure the midterm vote from primaries through the November general elections.
“This kind of election mismanagement is why the RNC is already suing Maryland for failing to clean their voter rolls,” Gruters told Fox News.
“Marylanders deserve answers after this unacceptable failure. The RNC and Maryland GOP are demanding transparency on how it happened, who will receive replacement ballots, and what safeguards will be used to prevent duplicate voting.”
“In response, the RNC and Maryland GOP are expanding our Protect the Vote operations with voter hotlines, legal oversight, and voter education statewide,” Gruters continued.
The ballot issue also comes as Moore renews his controversial call to redraw Maryland’s congressional map, after lawmakers failed to advance a proposed redistricting plan during the legislative session that ended in April.
Maryland Democrats have been divided over redistricting efforts that overwhelmingly favor their party.
A proposed congressional map approved by the Maryland House would likely have favored Democrats in all eight congressional districts, including the seat currently held by Republican Rep. Andy Harris, but the proposal later stalled in the state Senate.
Moore revived the issue following a Virginia court ruling that invalidated Democrats’ newly drawn congressional map there, arguing Maryland lawmakers should reconsider the state’s own district boundaries.
Maryland’s primary election is scheduled for June 23.
Voters requesting a mail-in ballot by mail must do so by June 16, according to the State Board of Elections.
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