Montana lawmakers question voter data shared with DOJ after secretive subpoena response

A Montana legislative committee subpoenaed Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen for the column headings of a voter file that her office shared with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2023. On September 11, Jacobsen’s counsel, Austin James, delivered a letter labeling the subpoena an unwarranted breach of separation of powers and asserting that the information was already accessible through other channels, such as the Legislative Audit Committee.

Committee Vice Chair Rep. Marc Lee and Chair Sen. Theresa Manzella noted that while the data was not provided in the spreadsheet format they expected, the letter included the required specifics, including that a portion of voters’ records contained the last four digits of Social Security numbers used in lieu of driver’s license numbers. The original DOJ request in August 2025 sought comprehensive voter records, prompting one outlet inquiry.

Lawmakers remain uneasy about why the federal government needed these partial Social Security numbers, with some attributing the sharing to the need for positive voter identification. The issue has sparked broader debate over state privacy protections and potential legislative action to tighten voter data safeguards.