DOJ Seeks Records From California Election Officials in Voter-Rolls Probe
On October 29, the Justice Department served grand-jury demands on California’s state and local election officials, escalating its investigation of voter registration records days before the midterm election. Subpoenas directed to Los Angeles County employees seek testimony and records about efforts to prevent unlawful voting and evidence collected by the office. An Orange County subpoena sought unredacted records for 60 people, according to documents obtained by CalMatters.
The investigation centers on the federal government’s claim that roughly 20,000 noncitizens may be on California’s voter rolls and received mail ballots. California officials have questioned the accuracy of the government’s list, and court proceedings have acknowledged that it includes some citizens. A Justice Department spokesperson said receiving a subpoena does not necessarily mean someone is a target.
The subpoenas followed a judge’s rejection of the administration’s request to make California separate the disputed ballots before counting them. Judge David O. Carter appointed a special master to develop a factual record and scheduled a November 13 hearing before deciding the government’s renewed request. The state’s election results are due for certification by December 3. Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan said, “Threats and intimidation have no place in elections.”
DOJ Escalates Pressure on California Election Officials Before Vote
The Justice Department is escalating its campaign against California’s election officials even after a federal judge rejected the administration’s bid to hold back ballots linked to people it claims may be noncitizens. Grand jury subpoenas issued on October 29 seek records and testimony from local officials, including Los Angeles County employees and an Orange County office.
The administration’s case rests on a list of roughly 20,000 people whose citizenship and eligibility officials dispute. Court proceedings have already raised concerns about the list’s reliability, including that it mistakenly includes some citizens. Yet federal officials sought to prevent the ballots from being counted, a step the judge said could disrupt the election and risk excluding eligible voters.
Judge David O. Carter appointed a special master to examine the claims and set a November 13 hearing before considering the government’s renewed request. The state must certify results by December 3. The subpoenas add pressure on election workers while that process unfolds. Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan said, “Threats and intimidation have no place in elections.”
DOJ Seeks Answers on California’s Disputed Voter Rolls
The Justice Department is pursuing a criminal investigation into claims that thousands of noncitizens may be registered to vote in California, issuing grand jury subpoenas to election officials on October 29. The subpoenas seek records about how officials screen for unlawful voting and what evidence they have gathered; an Orange County demand covered records for 60 people.
The administration says roughly 20,000 people on its list received mail ballots and has argued those ballots should be separated until citizenship is verified. A federal judge rejected that request, while appointing a special master to examine the facts. The judge is due to consider the government’s renewed request after a November 13 hearing.
The dispute puts election integrity and the handling of potentially ineligible registrations at the center of a legal fight, with California’s results scheduled for certification by December 3. The Justice Department says unlawful voting can be addressed through criminal prosecution, and a spokesperson has emphasized that receiving a subpoena does not necessarily make someone a target. California officials, meanwhile, challenge the federal list’s accuracy.
Reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, ABC7 New York, CBS News, The Washington Examiner, New York Post, NBC News, CalMatters, KTVU FOX 2, MSNBC.
