Justice Department Subpoenas Los Angeles County Election Staff After Judge Rejects Ballot Request

The U.S. Justice Department has issued subpoenas to employees of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's office, ordering them to appear in court Nov. 4, the day after the election, in an escalation of its scrutiny of California election administration. Three subpoenas dated Oct. 21 and Oct. 24 seek records and communications tied to July and October federal letters alleging noncitizens on state voter rolls, plus the office's methods for screening for unlawful voting by noncitizens. A person familiar with the matter said all four U.S. attorneys in California were issuing subpoenas. CalMatters reported at least four election workers received grand jury subpoenas within a week, and an Orange County official got a similar one. A letter said the subpoena was tied to a Homeland Security Investigations criminal probe. County registrar Dean Logan said threats and intimidation have no place in elections.

The subpoenas followed a ruling by U.S. District Judge David Carter, who refused to make California set aside ballots from more than 20,000 people the department calls suspected noncitizens. The department appealed.

Fox News and Breitbart, on the right, lead with the DOJ's side. Fox stresses the criminal grand jury subpoenas and features First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli warning against counting suspected noncitizens' ballots. Breitbart focuses on the ruling, noting Carter is a Clinton appointee, that the DOJ appealed with the solicitor general's approval, and that 28 people were charged the same day. HuffPost and The New Republic, on the left, emphasize the intimidation concern via Logan and Carter's harsh rebuke. They note that the DOJ list was called unreliable and that many listed people had no active registration. Both sides report the ruling and the subpoenas. Alternative outlets AP and Straight Arrow News largely match the factual reporting.