Local Politics · Los Angeles County
The U.S. Justice Department issued three subpoenas on Oct. 21 to employees of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder, ordering them to appear in court Nov. 4 and produce records related to alleged noncitizens on voter rolls. The subpoenas were issued by all four U.S. attorneys in California as part of a federal effort to set aside up to 20,000 ballots suspected of being cast by noncitizens. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter rejected the federal request Tuesday and appointed special master Daniel B. Garrie Thursday to develop the factual record, while scheduling a Nov. 13 evidentiary hearing before ruling on a preliminary injunction. Carter noted that over 500,000 votes have already been processed in Los Angeles County alone and warned that separating ballots at this stage risks disenfranchising citizens. The county's election certification deadline is Dec. 3.
Local Politics · Los Angeles County
The U.S. Justice Department issued three subpoenas on Oct. 21 to employees of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder, ordering them to appear in court on Nov. 4, the day after the election. The subpoenas, reportedly issued by all four U.S. attorneys in California, seek records related to alleged noncitizens on voter rolls and methods for screening unlawful voting. In a related lawsuit, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter rejected the federal government's request to set aside up to 20,000 ballots but appointed special master Daniel B. Garrie to develop the factual record. The county election certification deadline is Dec. 3.
Local Politics · Los Angeles County
At least four California election workers received federal criminal grand jury subpoenas over the past week, with one delivered to the Orange County Registrar of Voters on Thursday seeking unredacted voter records for 60 people. The subpoenas followed a Wednesday order from U.S. District Judge David O. Carter warning federal prosecutors to stop threatening state and local election employees with criminal charges. In Los Angeles County, three Registrar-Recorder employees were subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury on Nov. 4, the day after the midterm election. LA County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan called the approach "confrontational" while DOJ spokesperson Kiersten Pels said receiving a subpoena does not mean one is a target. The Justice Department has appealed Carter's ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Local Politics · Los Angeles County
The U.S. Department of Justice sent subpoenas to at least two California election officials ordering them to appear before a grand jury on Nov. 4, the morning after midterm voting ends, according to documents reviewed by The Sacramento Bee. The subpoenas seek communications between local and state officials regarding federal demands that California set aside approximately 20,000 ballots the DOJ contends may have been cast by noncitizens, a claim the article notes lacks proof. A federal judge rejected the DOJ's civil lawsuit seeking to block ballot counting on Oct. 28 and warned against threats directed at election workers. The Los Angeles County Clerk's Office cited the judge's warning in a public statement, while the Sacramento County elections office said no employees had been subpoenaed but were prepared for the possibility. Separately, federal authorities charged 28 people with voting illegally in California, including at least two Sacramento residents.
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Local Politics · Los Angeles County
The Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas between Oct. 21 and Oct. 24 to Los Angeles County election officials regarding allegations of non-citizen voter registration. The subpoenas request records concerning correspondence with federal officials and screening methods for unlawful voting. This action follows a U.S. District Judge's rejection of a federal bid to separate mail ballots from suspected non-citizens, a ruling the judge described as protecting state authority over elections. LA Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan condemned the subpoenas as part of a confrontational approach by the DOJ.
Local Politics · Los Angeles County
The U.S. Justice Department issued three subpoenas on Oct. 21 to employees of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder, ordering them to appear in court Nov. 4 to provide records related to alleged noncitizens on voter rolls. The subpoenas were issued by all four U.S. attorneys in California as part of an escalation in federal scrutiny of state election administration. Separately, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter rejected the Trump administration's request to set aside up to 20,000 ballots suspected of going to noncitizens but appointed a special master to develop the factual record. Carter scheduled an evidentiary hearing for Nov. 13 and noted the county's election certification deadline is Dec. 3. LA County Registrar Dean Logan said 'threats and intimidation have no place in elections.'
Local Politics · Los Angeles, CA
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter heard arguments Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles in a case where the Justice Department seeks to temporarily set aside ballots of approximately 20,000 alleged noncitizen voters on California's rolls. The DOJ named California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and L.A. County Registrar Dean Logan as defendants, requesting an emergency temporary restraining order one week before Election Day. Carter indicated he would rule by Wednesday and suggested a follow-up hearing with expert witnesses about two weeks after the election, noting Dec. 3 is California's deadline to certify results. The DOJ also sent letters to county officials in L.A., Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties asking them to set aside specific mail ballots or verify citizenship status of listed individuals. State attorneys argued the federal government used unreliable data and that segregating ballots would disenfranchise voters.
Local Politics · Los Angeles, CA
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter heard arguments Tuesday in Los Angeles over whether the Justice Department can bar California from counting ballots of approximately 20,000 people until their U.S. citizenship is confirmed. The DOJ sued California election officials in mid-October, alleging the state failed to review a list of names it identified as likely noncitizens on voter rolls. California and Los Angeles County officials argued that once mailed, ballots cannot be separated from voter identification, making compliance impossible before the Nov. 3 election or December certification deadline. A sample review of 200 records by LA County staff found canceled registrations, inactive voters, and U.S.-born individuals; USCIS rechecked those records and identified only four likely citizens and one deceased person among them.
