DOJ Subpoenas California Officials in Expanded Election Probe

The Justice Department has subpoenaed California election officials as part of a criminal investigation into alleged noncitizen voting. All four U.S. attorneys in the state are issuing the subpoenas, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Nov. 4 is the court date for Los Angeles County registrar employees.
Subpoenas seek records on screening methods and federal letters about noncitizen voters.
Federal marshals served one county employee at home after an office service.
20,000 names are on the federal list, out of 23 million California voters.

Why it matters: The subpoenas raise legal pressure on local officials during a midterm that decides control of Congress. The Justice Department had warned officials of federal scrutiny if they did not comply.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said officials who knowingly process noncitizen ballots face legal jeopardy.
500,000+ votes are already processed in Los Angeles County, per court filings.

The story so far

68 steps · since Oct 9

Oct 9–14
Oct 146:27 PMJustice Department Sues California Over Alleged Noncitizen Mail Ballots59 sources
Oct 15–19
Oct 199:45 AMDOJ Charges 28 Over Alleged Noncitizen Voting in California56 sources
Oct 19–22
Oct 234:53 AMTrump Admin Moves to Block Alaska Senate Result If Sullivan Loses83 sources
Oct 23–28
Oct 2810:51 AMDemocrats Accused of Recruiting Second Dan Sullivan in Alaska74 sources
Oct 28–29
Oct 295:15 PMDOJ Subpoenas California Officials in Expanded Election ProbeYou are here
Oct 296:21 PMDOJ Amends Alaska Lawsuit Over Sullivan Senate Race Probe5 sourcesLatest

How 18 sources split on this story

Source landscape

Factuality

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Strong LeftLeftLean LeftCenterLean RightRightStrong Right

Political Bias

Coverage by lean% of 18 sources

18 sources · 19 articles · 45% Left coverage

Where they split: The dispute is whether the investigation guards against illegal voting, as the administration says, or intimidates election workers, as Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan says.

Center coverage, 6 sources: The center frames the subpoenas as an escalation of federal scrutiny amid an ongoing court fight over a disputed voter list.

NOTUS9hJustice Department Subpoenas California Officials in Escalation of Its Scrutiny of Local Elections - The Washington Sun CTV News9hU.S. Justice Department subpoenas California officials in escalation of its scrutiny of local elections Associated Press6hJustice Department subpoenas California officials in escalation of its scrutiny of elections NPR5hJustice Department issues subpoenas to California election workers WESH 2 News9hDOJ subpoenas California officials in escalation of its scrutiny of local elections WKBN Youngstown7hJustice Department subpoenas California officials in escalation of its scrutiny of elections

Left coverage, 8 sources: The left sees the subpoenas as an escalation of unproven fraud claims that now reaches election workers at their homes.

Raw Story3h‘Huge red flags’ as Todd Blanche revives voter fraud claims with bizarre move: report The Independent9hJustice Department subpoenas California officials in escalation of its scrutiny of local election administration ABC News8hDOJ issues grand jury subpoenas to election officials in California MSNBC5hDOJ issues new grand jury subpoenas to California election officials NBC News7hDOJ subpoenas local election officials over claims of noncitizen voting in California Politico8hJustice Department subpoenas California election workers in probe of noncitizen voting San Francisco Chronicle6hDOJ subpoenas California election officials as voter probes expand The New York Times10hTrump Administration Pressures California With Expanded Voter Fraud Investigation

Right4 sources

Citizen Free Press5hDOJ issues subpoenas for California election officials.Daily Mail9hTrump launches criminal investigation into claims of illegal voting in California as president tries to stop 'rigged' Democrat midterms wave New York Post7hTrump DOJ launches criminal probe into California voter rolls, subpoenas election officials RedState8hStuff Is Getting Real: DOJ Issues Criminal Subpoenas for CA Election Officials

What’s next: U.S. District Judge David O. Carter appointed special master Daniel B. Garrie to develop the factual record. Carter will rule on a preliminary injunction after a Nov. 13 hearing.

The administration asked the 9th Circuit to rule quickly on setting the disputed ballots aside.
Dec. 3 is the county certification deadline California says it cannot meet if ballots are separated.
How many people on the federal list are actually citizens?
Would findings of noncitizen voters affect certification of California's results?
Does the grand jury intend to charge any election officials?