Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan speaks during a news conference on June 2, 2026. His office confirmed to NPR on Thursday that it had received grand jury subpoenas issued to the employees. last week.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
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Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
The Justice Department has subpoenaed Los Angeles election officials as part of an escalation of tensions with California election officials over the Trump administration’s efforts to identify noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls.
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s Office confirmed to NPR on Thursday that it received grand jury subpoenas issued to the employees last week..
The confirmation follows a report that first appeared in the The New York Times that at least two employees of the Registrar’s Office were served with a grand jury subpoena with instructions to appear in court on November 4.
In recent weeks, the DOJ has sent letters to local election officials in California warning them that they could “risk significant federal oversight and legal exposure” if they refuse to cooperate with DOJ requests to void ballots involving people who federal officials have flagged as “likely” non-citizens.
“If individuals knowingly count the ballots of individuals identified by federal agencies as noncitizens, they risk becoming complicit in a federal crime,” the letters warn.
A Justice Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the subpoenas.
It is unclear whether the personnel who received the subpoenas are currently under criminal investigation.
News of last week’s subpoenas comes a day after a federal judge in California rejected a Justice Department request requiring California election officials to void and stop processing the ballots of thousands of California voters who are on a list of 20,000 names federal officials say are “likely” non-citizens.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter ruled that there was no legal basis for the DOJ’s request and that the court was not convinced its list was reliable. The judge also raised concerns that the effort would disenfranchise eligible voters and create electoral chaos.
The DOJ is appealing its decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
During a hearing in Carter’s courtroom Tuesday, the judge warned Justice Department officials: “This court believes it would be wise for any threats against elected state and county employees to cease immediately.”
Carter repeated that message in the order he issued Wednesday evening, writing: “The court reiterates what it said yesterday: These threats must stop.”
Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan expressed gratitude for Carter’s comments in a statement released Thursday.
“Judge Carter’s rebuke of threats directed at election officials Tuesday was well-placed and appreciated,” Logan said. “At every step, the U.S. Department of Justice has taken a confrontational and contradictory approach. Election officials act in accordance with state and federal law.”
He added: “We will take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our employees and remain focused on serving the voters of Los Angeles County so they can exercise their right to vote.”
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