A dispute has developed over heavily redacted voter registration documents released [1] by the Prince George’s County Board of Elections concerning Ian Andre Roberts, an illegal alien who served as superintendent of the Des Moines public school district until his arrest by federal authorities in September.
The American Accountability Foundation and Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections are challenging the county’s decision to withhold portions of the records, citing federal requirements for public access.
Justin Riemer, CEO and president of Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections, said the redacted documents were unexpected.
“This was shocking,” Riemer told Fox News Digital.
“When I saw the news reporting, and they showed screenshots of the registration applications with all this information redacted, I was just shocked.”
The released records had 18 redaction boxes across two pages, removing Roberts’ sex, whether he checked the citizenship box, his date of birth, and other identifying details.
Riemer, an election attorney representing both Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections and the American Accountability Foundation, said the information removed exceeded what the National Voter Registration Act allows election officials to withhold.
He stated that protections apply to information such as Social Security numbers or driver’s license numbers, not a person’s gender or responses to citizenship questions.
Roberts, originally from Guyana, first entered the United States in 1994.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him in September while he was serving as superintendent in Des Moines.
Fox News Digital previously reported that his employment authorization card had expired in 2020, meaning he was not legally permitted to work at the time of his appointment.
After his arrest, additional details were reviewed by investigators and media outlets.
The Department of Homeland Security stated in October that Roberts was listed as a registered Democratic voter in Maryland and had a 2012 conviction for reckless driving.
The Maryland State Board of Elections said he did not vote in elections.
Further reviews found that Roberts had earlier criminal charges dating back to 1996 in New York and a dropped 1998 unauthorized-use-of-a-vehicle charge in Queens.
More recent charges included a 2020 case for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and a 2022 conviction for unlawful possession of a loaded firearm in Pennsylvania.
Holy crap. DHS just released more info on the Iowa school superintendent and illegal alien Ian Andre Roberts. He has a very long, violent criminal record, combined with immigration fraud. He also voted in elections. pic.twitter.com/lZDeRJKmnw [2]
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) October 3, 2025 [3]
Riemer said the case illustrates systemic issues.
“I’m an election law expert, not an immigration expert, but it doesn’t take one to see just how… broken the system has been,” he said.
He noted Roberts’ ability to work in multiple school districts despite past charges and without current authorization.
“It’s really just unbelievable how this guy has managed to jump around the country, working in school districts where he’s around children.”
The American Accountability Foundation filed a public records request for Roberts’ voter registration application.
Prince George’s County provided the documents but with the disputed redactions, leading to the current challenge.
RITE and American Accountability Foundation (AAF) have submitted an NVRA request to Prince George’s County Board of Elections for the voter-registration records of Ian Andre Roberts.
Roberts, a Guyanese national under a final order of removal issued in May 2024, was serving as… pic.twitter.com/M8730sQNto [4]
— Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE) (@Restoring_USA) November 19, 2025 [5]
Riemer said the request was made under the National Voter Registration Act, which includes provisions for public access to voter registration records.
On Tuesday, Riemer sent a letter to the county board demanding the release of less-redacted documents by Dec. 1.
The letter stated that failure to comply would lead to a notice citing a violation of 52 U.S.C. § 20507(i). If the county did not resolve the matter within 90 days of that notice, he said legal action would follow.
“Please provide my clients with the records no later than Monday, December 1, 2025,” the letter said.
It added that if the county withheld information beyond permitted exceptions, his clients would file suit in Maryland federal district court and seek attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses, and other costs.
Riemer said he had not yet received a response from the board and believed the county may be consulting the state board of elections and the state attorney general’s office.
He noted that Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections sued Maryland last year over restrictions on public access to voter registration records and won that case in March.
Riemer said the Roberts case reflects broader concerns about non-citizens appearing on voter rolls.
He cited Oregon’s report that its DMV had registered several thousand non-citizens. “We know it happens in the thousands,” he said.
Roberts was taken into U.S. Marshals’ custody after his arrest and is set to be prosecuted, the Department of Homeland Security reported.
According to the agency, he attempted to flee officers and was found with $3,000 in cash, a Glock 9mm pistol, and a hunting knife.
On Oct. 2, he was charged federally with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms.
The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners subsequently revoked Roberts’ license, making him ineligible to serve again as a superintendent in the state.