Subpoenas hit LA election staff

Two Los Angeles County election workers received grand jury subpoenas last week, according to a confirmation from the county Registrar-Recorder’s office on Thursday. The documents instruct the employees to appear in court on Nov. 4.

The U.S. Department of Justice is escalating its legal push to identify noncitizens on California voter rolls. In recent weeks, federal officials sent letters to local election authorities. The correspondence warned that refusing to cooperate could lead to "significant federal scrutiny and legal exposure."

The letters stated that officials who count ballots from people flagged as "likely" noncitizens risk becoming "aiders and abettors to a federal crime." A Justice Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment regarding the subpoenas. It remains unclear if the staff members are formal targets of a criminal investigation.

The subpoenas arrived one day after U.S. District Judge David O. Carter ruled against the federal government. Carter rejected the DOJ’s request to force California officials to set aside the ballots of voters listed on a roster of 20,000 names. The federal government claims these individuals are likely noncitizens.

Carter found no legal basis for the demand and questioned the reliability of the DOJ’s list. He expressed concern that the process would disenfranchise eligible voters and cause election chaos. The Justice Department is appealing the ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

During a Tuesday hearing, Carter warned federal officials that threats against state and county employees must stop immediately. He repeated the directive in a written order issued Wednesday evening. "The court reiterates what it said yesterday: these threats must stop," the order read.

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan thanked the judge for the comments in a statement Thursday. Logan described the DOJ’s approach as "confrontational" and "adversarial." He stated the county will take necessary steps to protect its employees while continuing to serve voters.