Three Los Angeles County election officials have received criminal grand jury subpoenas from the Justice Department related to their handling of thousands of state ballots. The department has demanded these ballots be set aside, citing claims that they could have been cast by noncitizens. This action escalates the ongoing legal battle over California's election procedures.
Labor unions and voting rights groups have responded by initiating further action within the existing framework of federal lawsuits challenging the ballot order. The dispute has progressed through the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and is now on a potential path to the U.S. Supreme Court, which will determine whether to hear the case. Law enforcement and election experts generally agree that voting by noncitizens is exceptionally rare, despite persistent claims to the contrary by the Trump administration.
Under the subpoenas, Los Angeles County officials are compelled to provide extensive internal documentation, including emails and text messages, concerning their response to the administration's demand to segregate 20,000 contested ballots. They are also required to submit any evidence indicating that a noncitizen may have voted. Prosecutors assert that widespread noncitizen voting disenfranchises American citizens by diluting their legitimate votes. Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters Dean Logan and hundreds of his staff are facing the upcoming election under the shadow of a criminal investigation, with department employees ordered to appear in federal court.
At least three employees from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s Office have been summoned as part of this probe. Reports indicate that prosecutors across all four federal districts in California are issuing similar orders. The Justice Department had previously subpoenaed thousands of voter records based on allegations of extensive noncitizen voting in California. Now, prosecutors are seeking virtually all written communications within local election offices regarding their responses to these demands, including lists of employees who received the directive. Courts have previously expressed skepticism regarding the reliability of the Justice Department's list of potential noncitizen voters.
Dean Logan himself has not been subpoenaed, which is typical in criminal investigations as the Fifth Amendment protects individuals from self-incrimination. The Justice Department has declined to comment on whether Logan might face prosecution. A spokesperson stated that while a civil remedy remains available, noncitizen voting is appropriately addressed through criminal law. The threat of prosecution, however, looms over any employee processing ballots that the Justice Department might contest. President Trump has publicly stated that individuals involved could face lengthy jail time.
A lawsuit filed by the Service Employees International Union and its partners describes the subpoenas as part of a "coordinated campaign to intimidate, threaten, and coerce state and local officials and employees." The union's suit argues that thousands of California voters could be disenfranchised if courts do not block federal efforts to "coerce them into halting the processing and counting of ballots." California Attorney General Rob Bonta condemned the actions, calling the escalating attacks on election officials "unacceptable."
The potential for blocking these subpoenas hinges on an anticipated Supreme Court order. Much of the information requested pertains to the 20,000 contested ballots, the ultimate fate of which will be decided in Washington, D.C. The union's lawsuit also seeks to shield election officials from prosecution for counting ballots, which could effectively halt the underlying criminal investigation. State and local officials remain committed to conducting the election as scheduled. A recent ruling by a panel of 9th Circuit judges, which included two Trump appointees and one Biden appointee, supported California's position, stating that the federal government should present such concerns to Congress rather than the courts.
