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Maine leaders fear the Trump administration is suing to obtain the state’s voter registration data to compile its own national database, an assistant attorney general for the state argued in federal court Thursday.

The Department of Justice sued Maine’s Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, in U.S. District Court last fall to compel her to turn over voter registration lists, which would include such information as social security and drivers license numbers, as well as what political parties voters are registered with.

Maine is asking a federal judge to dismiss the DOJ’s lawsuit, alleging it would be unlawful for the federal government to take charge of running voter registration rolls.

“This is about process and whether Maine has the right process,” Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Bolton said during the hearing. “It’s not about, ‘Are X number of deceased people on the rolls?’ It’s not the federal government’s job to do that.”

James Thomas Tucker, an attorney for the DOJ, said the department needs Maine’s data to ensure the state is complying with federal voter laws.