Last month, The Gateway Pundit reported that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had sent a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche urging him to renew calls for investigations into barcode/QR code voting systems and the Election Registration Information Center (ERIC) and its handling of sensitive motor-vehicle data.
DHS officials had previously met with the DOJ under then-Attorney General Pam Bondi in September 2025 regarding these concerns. DHS’s previous concerns did not seem to produce any sort of resolution, legal determination, or any meaningful action.
Now, under recently confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Department of Justice has sent two letters requesting information related to the DHS concerns— one to ERIC and one to the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR).
The DHS letter outlines concerns that ERIC may have violated the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) by providing drivers’ private data to the CEIR. CEIR and ERIC both claim that this is a “permissible use” outlined in the DPPA and that the data was used for research.
The DOJ letter to ERIC states:
ERIC has maintained that its use of DPPA-protected personal information falls under a statutory permissible use. But courts have construed exceptions to the DPPA’s protections narrowly, and the membership agreement’s vague references to “research projects” and “responding to requests for information from third parties” do not appear to be tethered to the DPPA’s limited permissible uses. Even apart from the issue of disclosure to third parties, the scope of ERIC’s own use of DPPA-protected personal information remains unclear. Although using such information for furtherance of government functions may be a permitted use, using protected information for certain partisan purposes is not a government function and is thus not permitted under the DPPA — regardless of whether a state consents.
From ERIC, the DOJ is seeking:
A list, in a sortable and searchable format, of all persons and organizations with whom ERIC has shared information obtained by a state department of motor vehicles, including the specific purpose for which the information was shared and all resulting uses of the information, the State whose information was shared, and the date the information was shared
All records regarding ERIC’s sharing or disclosure of information obtained by a state department of motor vehicles
A detailed, narrative explanation describing the activities that constitute ERIC’s “services to its Members,” as set forth in the membership agreement
A sortable and searchable list describing all “research projects” that ERIC has undertaken under the membership agreements
All correspondence (e.g., letters, emails) with third parties concerning information obtained by a state department of motor vehicles
A similar letter was also sent to CEIR that focused more narrowly on the interactions between CEIR and ERIC. It asked for the following:
A searchable and sortable list detailing all instances of ERIC sharing information obtained by a state department of motor vehicles with CEIR, including the specific purpose for sharing the information and all resulting uses of the information.
All correspondences between CEIR and ERIC
All documents related to CEIR’s possession of information obtained by a state department of motor vehicles
All correspondence between CEIR and any state official regarding information obtained by a state department of motor vehicles
The Gateway Pundit first reported on this controversial relationship and the disbursement of funding in February 2022.
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The Gateway Pundit also previously disclosed that David Becker founded both CEIR (2016) and ERIC (2012). CEIR received $69.5 million in funding from the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative (Zuckerbucks) in the lead up to the 2020 election. That money was disproportionately distributed to four of the “swing states,” as well as New York and New Jersey, in the 2020 election cycle.
Notably, Michigan received $11.9 million in CEIR funding that was awarded to a non-governmental organization founded by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, rather than directly to the Secretary of State’s Office, creating issues with transparency and accountability for the funds usage.
The Michigan Center for Election Law and Administration (MCELA) received the $11.9 million and disbursed the funding to Waterfront Strategies ($9.79 million) and Alper Strategies ($2.09 million). Waterfront Strategies is described by OpenSecrets.org as a liberal-leaning consulting firm:
“With more than $149 million given to the group by super PACs and hybrid PACs, liberal consultant Waterfront Strategies claims the top spot among outside spending vendors in 2018. Waterfront’s dominant position isn’t particularly surprising, as it is an arm of the massive D.C. firm GMMB Consulting. Between GMMB and Waterfront, the two groups have combined to be the highest-paid consultant in each election cycle since 2012.
Waterfront was the top vendor for several major liberal super PACs, including Senate Majority PAC, Women Vote! and League of Conservation Voters. The group also handled nearly all the advertising duties ($39 million) for outside spending reported to the FEC by Majority Forward, this cycle’s leading dark money spender.”
Overall, CEIR’s Zuckerbuck funding was distributed to 23 states, with four of the top six beneficiary states being “swing states”. Pennsylvania received the most at $13.2 million. Of the top six, Arizona received the least at $4.8 million.
Of the remaining 17 states, the average award was just $1.57 million, including Florida, who received just $287,000.
The post DOJ Issues Requests For Documents to ERIC and Zuckerbuck-Funded CEIR Over Sharing of Private Voter Data appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
