Rep. Russo Raises Concerns After Ohio Voter Data Shared with Federal Government

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) today raised concerns after reports that Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose shared detailed voter registration data for nearly 8 million Ohioans with the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to reports, the data provided includes sensitive voter information such as the last four digits of Social Security numbers and driver’s license or state ID numbers that are typically protected.

“When Ohioans provide sensitive personal information to register and vote, they should be able to trust their government will safeguard it,” said Rep. Russo. “We have sadly seen that the current federal administration cannot be trusted to safely maintain or appropriately use private information. By sharing detailed voter data with the U.S. Department of Justice, Secretary Frank LaRose has betrayed and failed the people of Ohio.”

The data request comes as the Trump administration has sought extensive voter information from states across the country, an unprecedented move that many states have pushed back against over privacy and election administration concerns.

Rep. Russo warned that the federal government’s growing involvement in state-run elections, combined with ongoing false claims about past election results, raises serious questions about how the information could be used.

“When Ohioans are required to provide private personal information to participate in our democracy, they deserve absolute confidence that their data will be protected,” added Rep. Russo. “I have grave concerns about how this information could be used or manipulated in ways that undermine the will of American voters.”