The U.S. Justice Department has issued criminal grand jury subpoenas to three officials in the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s Office as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of noncitizen voting in California elections. The subpoenas require the officials to produce internal documents—including emails, text messages, and other communications—related to their response to federal demands to isolate approximately 20,000 ballots suspected of being cast by noncitizens.
The subpoenas also seek any evidence indicating that noncitizens have voted, as well as information about individuals who may have assisted them. Federal prosecutors contend that voting by noncitizens, though rare according to experts and election officials, undermines the integrity of elections by diluting lawful votes. The inquiry forms part of a broader effort by the Justice Department, initiated during the previous administration, to investigate and prosecute alleged illegal voting.
Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters Dean Logan and the hundreds of employees who support the office are preparing to manage the upcoming election while under the pressure of this criminal inquiry. Several employees have been summoned to appear in federal court in Santa Ana, California, and have been instructed to provide extensive records about their internal processes and communications, including messages sent through self-deleting apps such as Signal.
While Logan himself has not been subpoenaed, officials note that subjects of criminal investigations typically are not required to testify before grand juries due to constitutional protections. The Justice Department has declined to comment on whether Logan could face prosecution but emphasized that noncitizen voting is properly addressed as a criminal issue, not solely a civil matter.
Federal prosecutors have indicated a commitment to pursuing accountability for any individuals who unlawfully participate in elections or aid noncitizens in voting. California Central District First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has stated that state or local officials who knowingly assist noncitizens in voting could be considered as aiding and abetting a crime.
The subpoenas and the investigation have prompted pushback from labor unions and voting rights organizations, who characterize the Justice Department’s actions as intimidation aimed at state and local election officials. The Service Employees International Union and its partners have filed a lawsuit arguing that the subpoenas threaten workers involved in administering elections.
The legal disputes surrounding the subpoenas and ballot challenges reached the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently, with the case potentially advancing to the U.S. Supreme Court. Courts have raised doubts about the reliability of the Justice Department’s list of potential noncitizen voters, adding complexity to the ongoing litigation.
The investigation underscores ongoing national tensions over election administration and voter eligibility, focusing attention on California—the nation’s most populous state and a frequent battleground in federal election-related legal battles.