Did DHS direct officers to misrepresent themselves to search state voter records?
A whistleblower alleges DHS officers were told to misrepresent themselves on state voter portals. Released training permits searches but does not show that instruction. Secretary Mullin denies it.
BackgroundWho runs U.S. elections?
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
This case concerns the alleged direction to use false attestations when searching restricted state voter portals as part of DHS's Unlawful Voter Initiative. It does not assess the broader authority to investigate noncitizen voting, the accuracy of resulting federal records, or separate litigation over the SAVE system.
The September 14 public packet includes a whistleblower disclosure, screenshots of state-site guidance and portal language, and excerpts of USCIS training. The training says officers may search listed state websites. The published excerpt does not say officers should claim to be voters or authorized representatives when they are not. That direction and any completed false attestations remain allegations in the whistleblower's account.
Padilla called for DHS to halt the activity and investigate the allegations. Asked about the claim on September 18, Secretary Mullin said it was not the directive DHS had issued and said the department would fix the problem if it proved true. Portal access logs and complete legal guidance would help establish what officers were told and what they did. No resulting harm to an eligible voter is established by the released packet.
Background: Who runs U.S. elections?
People in this case
Markwayne MullinDirectly involved
Alex PadillaDirectly involved
Chris CoonsCommented
Gary PetersCommented
Timeline
3 timeline entries on this page. Dates: September 14, 2026 to September 25, 2026
September 2026
Senators release whistleblower disclosure on voter-record searches
Source release
Padilla and Schumer make public a whistleblower disclosure alleging that DHS personnel were told to use state voter portals under false attestations. The packet includes portal guidance and training excerpts, but no reproduced instruction to make a false attestation.
[01]Senate letter and whistleblower disclosure on DHS's Unlawful Voter Initiative
The published packet contains senators' allegations, a whistleblower's account, screenshots of state voter portals, and excerpts from USCIS training. The reproduced training says officers may search listed sites; it does not explicitly instruct them to make a false voter attestation.
Senate letter and whistleblower disclosure on DHS's Unlawful Voter InitiativeSenators' letter, pp. 1-6; September 8 disclosure, pp. 7 onward; state-portal and training excerpts, pp. 15-23.Mullin denies DHS issued the alleged directive
Reaction
Asked on CNN whether officers were told to pose as voters, Secretary Mullin says that was not DHS's directive and that the department would fix the problem if the allegation proved true.
[02]Inside Politics transcript: Markwayne Mullin responds to voter-portal allegation
Bash asked Secretary Mullin whether DHS officers were told to misrepresent themselves to obtain voter records. Mullin denied that this was a DHS directive and said the department would fix the problem if it were true. CNN marks this as a rush transcript.
Inside Politics transcript: Markwayne Mullin responds to voter-portal allegationDana Bash question about alleged voter impersonation; Mullin response at about 12:35 p.m.Senators demand that DHS halt the alleged voter-search activities
Source release
In a September 25 letter, Coons and other senators demanded that DHS cease the activities they described and provide information about the Unlawful Voter Initiative. They called the reported impersonation of voters alarming if true. The letter sought disclosure rather than resolving the whistleblower's allegation.
[03]Senators' letter to DHS Secretary Mullin on election activities, September 25, 2026
Signed letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, dated September 25 and posted September 28. It describes allegations that staff were told to impersonate voters and demands records and an end to the initiative.
Senators' letter to DHS Secretary Mullin on election activities, September 25, 2026Pages 3-4, paragraphs on the Unlawful Voter Initiative and signatories
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
7 responses. First 6 shown initially. Newest first.
Chris CoonsU.S. senator from Delaware, as a co-signatoryBefore this statement
The letter addressed Secretary Markwayne Mullin and discussed a whistleblower's allegations about USCIS voter searches alongside other election-related DHS actions.
"If true, this is just another alarming effort by the Department to use data that USCIS materials admit may be inaccurate, coupled with questionable means to potentially disenfranchise voters."
Mixed or conditionalCase context: Did DHS direct officers to misrepresent themselves to search state voter records?
Full statement and sources
Coons co-signed a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin that calls a whistleblower's account of DHS staff being told to impersonate voters on state registration sites an alarming effort if true. The signatories demanded that DHS cease the activities described in the letter and provide information about the initiative.
After the statement
The signatories demanded that DHS immediately cease the activities described in the letter and provide information about the Unlawful Voter Initiative.
Senators' letter to DHS Secretary Mullin on election activities, September 25, 2026Pages 3-4, paragraphs on the Unlawful Voter Initiative and signatoriesWhy this label?
The case asks whether DHS directed officers to misrepresent themselves to search state voter records. The signed letter describes the whistleblower's account of that direction as "alarming" only "If true", and does not state that the direction occurred. That makes the judgment conditional, which is why the label is Mixed or conditional. Condemned is the closest competing label; it loses because the letter makes its criticism depend on the allegation being true.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Gary PetersU.S. senator and ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; lead signatoryBefore this statement
The signed letter describes the whistleblower's allegation that USCIS personnel were told to use personal information to impersonate voters on state websites.
"If true, this is just another alarming effort by the Department to use data that USCIS materials admit may be inaccurate"
Mixed or conditionalCase context: Did DHS direct officers to misrepresent themselves to search state voter records?
Full statement and sources
Peters and other senators say a whistleblower alleged that DHS staff were told to impersonate voters on state portals. They call the alleged conduct alarming if true and demand an end to the initiative and further information.
After the statement
Peters and the other signatories demanded information about the initiative and called for DHS to cease the activities described in the letter.
Senators' letter to DHS Secretary Mullin on election activities, September 25, 2026Pages 3-4, paragraphs on the Unlawful Voter Initiative and signatoriesWhy this label?
The signed letter explicitly makes its negative judgment conditional on the whistleblower allegation being true.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Markwayne MullinSecretary of Homeland SecurityDirectly involvedBefore this statement
Dana Bash asked Mullin about the whistleblower's allegation that officers had been told to misrepresent themselves to obtain sensitive voter records.
"That's absolutely not the directive that we put out there, and it's not even close to what we're doing."
DeniedCase context: Did DHS direct officers to misrepresent themselves to search state voter records?
Full statement and sources
Asked whether DHS officers were told to pose as voters to obtain records, Mullin denies that the department issued such a directive and says it would fix the problem if the allegation proved true.
After the statement
Mullin said he had not seen the whistleblower's materials, maintained that DHS was enforcing election and immigration law, and said it would fix the problem if true.
Inside Politics transcript: Markwayne Mullin responds to voter-portal allegationDana Bash question about alleged voter impersonation; Mullin response at about 12:35 p.m.Why this label?
Mullin explicitly denies that DHS directed officers to misrepresent themselves on voter portals. He says the department would correct such conduct if it occurred.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Jay JonesAttorney general of VirginiaBefore this statement
A whistleblower alleged DHS officers used a Virginia voter portal that requires users to attest they are the voter or have express authorization.
"Users that falsely make this certification in an effort to gather protected voter information may be violating several Virginia criminal statutes."
CondemnedCase context: Did DHS direct officers to misrepresent themselves to search state voter records?
Full statement and sources
Jones says a false certification to access Virginia voter records could violate state law and asks DHS to halt unauthorized searches and preserve records.
After the statement
Jones asked DHS whether its personnel accessed Virginia voter records without authorization and called for records to be preserved.
Virginia attorney general's roundup quoting his DHS voter-data letterFighting Federal Overreach section, New York Times and Associated Press excerptsSenate letter and whistleblower disclosure on DHS's Unlawful Voter InitiativeSenators' letter, pp. 1-6; September 8 disclosure, pp. 7 onward; state-portal and training excerpts, pp. 15-23.Why this label?
Jones objects to the alleged unauthorized access and seeks to stop it, while treating whether officers made false certifications as a matter to establish.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Alex PadillaU.S. senator and ranking member of the Senate Rules CommitteeDirectly involvedBefore this statement
Padilla introduced the anonymous whistleblower's disclosure to the Senate and described its allegations about the initiative.
"Federal officers are being told by headquarters to lie or to misrepresent themselves in order to access state voter data."
CondemnedCase context: Did DHS direct officers to misrepresent themselves to search state voter records?
Full statement and sources
Padilla says the whistleblower disclosure alleges officers were told to misrepresent their authority on state voter sites and calls for DHS to halt the activity.
After the statement
He called for DHS to halt the activities, disclose its practices, and remove unreliable law enforcement records.
Alex Padilla's September 14 remarks on DHS's Unlawful Voter InitiativeSenate floor remarks concerning voter-portal attestations and call to halt the initiative.Senate letter and whistleblower disclosure on DHS's Unlawful Voter InitiativeSenators' letter, pp. 1-6; September 8 disclosure, pp. 7 onward; state-portal and training excerpts, pp. 15-23.Why this label?
Padilla criticizes the alleged directive to misrepresent voter authorization and demands that the activity stop. His statement draws on the whistleblower disclosure.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Mark WarnerU.S. senator from Virginia, in a joint statement with Senator Tim KaineBefore this statement
Warner and Kaine responded jointly to a report that DHS personnel had been told to falsely identify themselves as Virginia voters to access voter-registration information.
"working for the federal government doesn't mean you can break the law"
CondemnedCase context: Did DHS direct officers to misrepresent themselves to search state voter records?
Full statement and sources
Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine condemned the reported direction to DHS personnel to falsely identify themselves as Virginia voters to access registration records. They said officials who violated the law should be held accountable and pledged to protect voter information and prevent wrongful removals from voter rolls.
After the statement
The senators called for accountability for officials who violated the law and pledged to protect voter information and prevent wrongful removals from voter rolls.
Warner and Kaine call for accountability over alleged false voter-portal attestationsJoint quotation, first and final sentencesWhy this label?
Warner and Kaine condemn the reported false voter-portal attestations and call for accountability. Their qualification about which officials violated the law preserves uncertainty about the allegations rather than support for the conduct.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Show fewer responses
Chuck SchumerU.S. Senate Democratic leaderBefore this statement
Schumer described the whistleblower's allegations about DHS officers searching state voter information.
"Donald: end this illegal initiative now and stop meddling in the elections."
CondemnedCase context: Did DHS direct officers to misrepresent themselves to search state voter records?
Full statement and sources
Schumer says a whistleblower alleges DHS officers were told to lie to access state voter information and calls for the initiative to end.
After the statement
He said officers were reportedly being told to violate state law and lie, and called the conduct horrible.
Schumer's Senate floor remarks on the DHS voter-data allegationFloor remarks, paragraphs beginning 'Apparently, agents' and 'Donald: end this illegal initiative'Senate letter and whistleblower disclosure on DHS's Unlawful Voter InitiativeSenators' letter, pp. 1-6; September 8 disclosure, pp. 7 onward; state-portal and training excerpts, pp. 15-23.Why this label?
Schumer condemns the alleged direction to misrepresent voter authorization and demands that the initiative stop.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(7)
Original text
Senate letter and whistleblower disclosure on DHS's Unlawful Voter Initiative
Relevant passage: Senators' letter, pp. 1-6; September 8 disclosure, pp. 7 onward; state-portal and training excerpts, pp. 15-23.
About this source
The published packet contains senators' allegations, a whistleblower's account, screenshots of state voter portals, and excerpts from USCIS training. The reproduced training says officers may search listed sites; it does not explicitly instruct them to make a false voter attestation.
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Warner and Kaine call for accountability over alleged false voter-portal attestations
Relevant passage: Joint quotation, first and final sentences
Excerpt
"working for the federal government doesn't mean you can break the law"
About this source
Warner and Kaine responded jointly to a report that DHS personnel had been told to falsely identify themselves as Virginia voters to access voter-registration information. The senators called for accountability for officials who violated the law and pledged to protect voter information and prevent wrongful removals from voter rolls.
- Author
- Mark Warner and Tim Kaine
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Senators' letter to DHS Secretary Mullin on election activities, September 25, 2026
Relevant passage: Pages 3-4, paragraphs on the Unlawful Voter Initiative and signatories
About this source
Signed letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, dated September 25 and posted September 28. It describes allegations that staff were told to impersonate voters and demands records and an end to the initiative.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Virginia attorney general's roundup quoting his DHS voter-data letter
Relevant passage: Fighting Federal Overreach section, New York Times and Associated Press excerpts
About this source
Jones's office reproduces reporting that quotes his September 17 letter to DHS and confirms its authenticity. The letter says false voter-portal certifications may violate Virginia law and asks DHS whether its staff accessed protected records without authorization.
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Schumer's Senate floor remarks on the DHS voter-data allegation
Relevant passage: Floor remarks, paragraphs beginning 'Apparently, agents' and 'Donald: end this illegal initiative'
About this source
Schumer describes a whistleblower's allegation that officers were directed to lie to access voter information, condemns the alleged practice, and demands an end to the initiative.
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Alex Padilla's September 14 remarks on DHS's Unlawful Voter Initiative
Relevant passage: Senate floor remarks concerning voter-portal attestations and call to halt the initiative.
About this source
Padilla publicly recounted the whistleblower's allegations that officers were told to misrepresent themselves on voter sites. He called for the initiative to stop and for DHS to disclose its practices. His remarks are allegations and criticism, not independent proof of completed false attestations.
- Published
- Accessed
Interview
Inside Politics transcript: Markwayne Mullin responds to voter-portal allegation
Relevant passage: Dana Bash question about alleged voter impersonation; Mullin response at about 12:35 p.m.
About this source
Bash asked Secretary Mullin whether DHS officers were told to misrepresent themselves to obtain voter records. Mullin denied that this was a DHS directive and said the department would fix the problem if it were true. CNN marks this as a rush transcript.
- Published
- Accessed
Share or embed this case
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the case page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Did DHS direct officers to misrepresent themselves to search state voter records?
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/dhs-unlawful-voter-initiative-state-portal-attestations
The Dispute Index. "Did DHS direct officers to misrepresent themselves to search state voter records?". First published: 2026-09-28. Last updated: 2026-10-07. https://disputeindex.com/cases/dhs-unlawful-voter-initiative-state-portal-attestations