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# Trump's DOJ subpoenaed LA election workers to a grand jury. They must appear Nov. 4, the day after the election.
- URL: https://www.workersrights.news/doj-grand-jury-subpoenas-los-angeles-election-workers/
- Published: 2026-10-30T00:33:58.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T00:33:58.000Z
- Description: The subpoenas demand records on the 20,000 California ballots a judge refused to set aside.
- Author: WorkersRights.News Team
- Tags: Politics, Legal News

The Justice Department has sent grand jury subpoenas to employees of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, the office that runs elections in the nation's most populous county, days before the Nov. 3 election.

The Associated Press and CBS News each reported Thursday that they saw copies of three subpoenas, sent Oct. 21 and Oct. 24\. The AP reported they order recipients to appear in court Nov. 4, the day after the election. A grand jury is the citizen panel prosecutors use to gather evidence and decide whether to bring criminal charges.

The subpoenas seek internal communications about the federal government's demand that California set aside roughly 20,000 ballots from people the administration claims are noncitizens, plus records on how the county screens for noncitizen voting, the AP and CBS reported. CBS reported they also seek correspondence with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter. The AP reported a cover letter ties the subpoena to a criminal investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, a DHS agency.

Bloomberg Law reported that Justice Department leadership directed federal prosecutors in California to pursue the subpoenas, and that the Los Angeles U.S. attorney's office led by Bill Essayli, [whom a judge ruled is serving unlawfully](https://www.workersrights.news/judge-rules-bill-essayli-unlawfully-serving-la-federal-prosecutor/), has been eager to investigate officials, including the secretary of state.

Still unknown: which other counties or officials received subpoenas, whether anyone is a target, and what crime prosecutors think was committed.

This week, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter [rejected the Justice Department's bid to set aside the 20,000 ballots](https://www.workersrights.news/judge-carter-denies-doj-bid-set-aside-20000-california-ballots/). Both sides agree the federal list includes citizens, the AP reported. Carter wrote that threats against election officials "must stop," according to CBS.

A Justice Department spokesperson said the department "does not comment on leaks about grand jury subpoenas" and that "voting unlawfully results in criminal exposure." That's true of people who vote illegally, but these subpoenas went to the workers counting ballots, and the department has offered no evidence that they broke any law.

Dean Logan, the county's Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, said in a statement quoted by CBS: "At every step, the U.S. Department of Justice has taken a confrontational, adversarial approach. Election officials are acting in accordance with state and federal law."

We condemn using a criminal grand jury to pressure the people counting Californians' votes. Carter has set a Nov. 13 evidentiary hearing in the ballot case.

### Sources

- [California election officials face grand jury subpoenas as DOJ expands voting investigation](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-election-officials-grand-jury-subpoenas-doj-ballots/?ref=workersrights.news) (CBS News)
- [Justice Department subpoenas California officials in escalation of its scrutiny of local elections](https://www.wdbo.com/news/politics/justice-department/H7CUFW7DKM4NZDUPTLORTV54LM/?ref=workersrights.news) (Associated Press)
- [DOJ issues grand jury subpoenas to election officials in California](https://abcnews.com/Politics/doj-issues-grand-jury-subpoenas-election-officials-california/story?id=137689807&ref=workersrights.news) (ABC News)
- [DOJ Orders Criminal Probes of California Officials on Voting](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/doj-orders-criminal-probes-of-california-officials-over-ballots?ref=workersrights.news) (Bloomberg Law)