Grand Jury Subpoenas Target LA Election Staff Amid Noncitizen Ballot Dispute

Federal prosecutors have escalated their legal conflict with California election officials by issuing subpoenas to staff in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's office confirmed on Thursday that employees received grand jury subpoenas last week. The New York Times first reported that at least two staff members were served with documents ordering them to appear in court on Nov. 4. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment regarding the subpoenas. It remains unclear whether the summoned staff are the primary targets of a criminal investigation.

The subpoenas arrive one day after U.S. District Judge David O. Carter rejected the Justice Department's request to halt the processing of ballots for thousands of voters. Federal officials maintain that a list of 20,000 names identifies "likely" noncitizens whose ballots should be set aside. Carter ruled that the government lacked a legal basis for the demand and doubted the reliability of the list. He expressed concern that the effort would disenfranchise eligible voters and cause election chaos.

Judge Carter warned Justice Department officials during a Tuesday hearing that threats against state and county employees should cease immediately. He reiterated this directive in an order issued Wednesday evening, stating, "The court reiterates what it said yesterday: these threats must stop." The Justice Department is currently appealing Carter's ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Prior to the subpoenas, the Justice Department sent letters to local election officials warning them of "significant federal scrutiny and legal exposure" if they refused to cooperate with demands to set aside flagged ballots. The letters stated that officials who knowingly tabulate ballots cast by individuals identified as noncitizens risk becoming "aiders and abettors to a federal crime."

Dean Logan, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder, responded to Judge Carter's comments in a statement on Thursday. Logan said the judge's admonishment was "well placed and appreciated." He characterized the Justice Department's approach as confrontational and adversarial at every step. Logan stated that election officials are acting in accordance with state and federal law and that his office will take necessary steps to ensure employee safety while serving voters.

The legal battle centers on the administration's effort to identify noncitizens on state voter rolls. The conflict has moved from correspondence to litigation and now to direct legal process against individual employees of the county office responsible for administering elections.