California election workers hit with criminal subpoenas as Trump DOJ turns up heat in voting showdown
Leadership at the Department of Justice is escalating the Trump administration’s fight with California over suspected illegal voting, directing top federal prosecutors to pursue criminal subpoenas of local and state officials.At least four election workers in California have received federal criminal grand jury subpoenas within the last week, CalMatters reported.At least one of these subpoenas was delivered on Thursday, after a federal judge rejected the DOJ’s request that California set aside mail-in ballots associated with over 20,000 registered voters whose citizenship the Trump administration has called into question.A subpoena sent to three election employees at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s office requested records on how the department stops non-citizens from voting as well as "records relating to or involving evidence collected by your agency which tends to indicate an alien has voted in a federal election." An official in Orange County received a similar subpoena, local media reported.JUDGE REJECTS DOJ REQUEST TO BLOCK CALIFORNIA FROM IMMEDIATELY COUNTING BALLOTS LINKED TO ALLEGED NONCITIZENSMultiple people vote early at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's office on Oct.
19, 2026.(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)"This court believes it would be wise that any threats to state or county employees cease immediately," the judge said during court proceedings.
"These threats must stop," he wrote in his Wednesday decision.A Justice Department spokesperson pushed back against characterizations that the administration was targeting individuals with subpoenas, noting that receiving a subpoena doesn’t mean you are a target and that the DOJ generally doesn’t subpoena targets.DOJ FIRES BACK AT DEM AG OVER ELECTION DAY GUIDANCE TELLING OFFICIALS WHEN TO CALL COPS ON FEDERAL AGENTSGovernor Gavin Newsom is seen during a press conference about 'legal action against Trump administration' at the Office of the Attorney Genera...