WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01), Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), and Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting a formal investigation into the mishandling of the 2024 election in Scott County under Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.  

In part, the letter reads:

“While the election results for the 2024 general election were swiftly certified by Scott County and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, 20 Minnesotans were allegedly denied their right to vote in this election.”

The letter continues, “As you know, 18 U.S.C. 242 prohibits willfully acting under government authority to deprive individuals of their rights, including the right to vote; and 52 U.S.C. 20701 provides criminal penalties for officials willfully failing to retain and preserve election records.

“Minnesotans deserve to have confidence in their state’s elections and accountability from their state’s election officials. We respectfully request that the Office of the Attorney General of the United States take swift action to fully investigate this matter, ensuring accountability and transparency for Minnesota voters.”

Read the full letter here.

Today’s request is the latest effort by the Minnesota Republican Congressional delegation to hold Minnesota’s highest election official accountable for the illegal disposal of lawfully cast ballots.

Following the 2024 election, the lawmakers contacted Secretary Simon, demanding accountability for the 20 missing ballots from Shakopee’s 10th precinct. On December 23, 2024, after the disposal of the ballots was confirmed, the lawmakers again contacted Secretary Simon in a follow-up letter, demanding transparency from the Secretary of State’s office and requesting information on how the office intends to prevent unlawful disposal of ballots in the future.

To date, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office has yet to provide full transparency or accountability in this matter.