DOJ sends subpoenas to California election workers

20,000

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued federal grand jury subpoenas to local election officials across California. This action marks the start of a criminal investigation into the state's voter rolls. A U.S. official confirmed the move on Thursday.

The Justice Department believes as many as 20,000 noncitizens are currently registered to vote in California. It is not yet clear how many subpoenas were sent or which specific individuals received them. The New York Times first reported the issuance of these documents.

Officials in the Justice Department stated that a subpoena does not make a person a target of the investigation. The official explained that the agency rarely subpoenas people it intends to charge. The subpoenas seek information relevant to the case. The DOJ declined to comment on media reports regarding the subpoenas but noted that federal courts have established that voting unlawfully can lead to criminal charges.

This legal push follows a ruling on Wednesday. A federal judge denied the Trump administration's request to segregate 20,000 mail ballots from alleged noncitizens in California. The judge questioned the accuracy of the administration's process for identifying these voters. Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and County Clerk Dean Logan praised the decision on Thursday.

Logan said in a statement that the Department of Justice has taken a confrontational approach at every step. He added that election officials are acting in accordance with state and federal law. Logan noted that clear court rulings by both the federal judge and an appeals court have confirmed this legal standing.

The Justice Department sent letters to 57 of California's 58 counties last week. These letters warned local officials to cooperate with federal investigations into illegal voting. The agency expanded these efforts this week to Washington state. In Washington, the DOJ asked the secretary of state to review a list of 400 registrants it believes to be noncitizens. The department also requested that the state sequester any ballots cast by those individuals.

The Trump administration faced two legal setbacks this week. An appeals court denied a request on Monday to block California from counting mail ballots from the alleged noncitizens. A federal judge then rejected the request to segregate those ballots on Wednesday. The administration has pressured state officials for months, suing 30 states and the District of Columbia over voter registration data. Election experts argue the administration's legal arguments are flimsy, particularly regarding the DOJ's authority to intervene in election certification.