Las Vegas Review-Journal

The U.S. Justice Department sent Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar a litigation-hold letter confirming he is under investigation and demanding his office preserve records tied to the 2024 election. The notice came three weeks after a federal court dismissed the DOJ's lawsuit seeking Nevada's unredacted voter registration database, and just before the statutory 22-month preservation period under the Civil Rights Act of 1960 was set to expire. The DOJ had originally requested sensitive voter data, including Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers, which Nevada law bars from disclosure; a judge ruled the government failed to justify the demand.

Aguilar said his office is already preserving the records and complying with the letter's legal requirements, while accusing the administration of trying to intimidate state election officials ahead of the 2026 midterms. His office separately disclosed receiving seven DOJ subpoenas over voter information in recent months, though it's unclear if they relate to the investigation described in the letter. The DOJ has not detailed the scope of any case against Aguilar.