Judge Blocks DOJ Subpoena for Fulton County Election Workers' Data

A federal judge blocked a Department of Justice (DOJ) subpoena seeking the personal information of thousands of election workers from Fulton County, Georgia's 2020 presidential election. U.S. District Judge William Ray ruled that the request was overly broad and lacked legitimate purpose.

According to multiple reports, the DOJ had sought names and contact information for all county employees and volunteer poll workers who participated in the 2020 election. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that widespread voter fraud occurred in Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold he alleges cost him victory in Georgia.

Fulton County officials argued the subpoena was intended to 'target, harass and punish' perceived political opponents. Judge Ray agreed, calling the scope of the request 'staggering' and noting it would create an unreasonable burden on workers and chill future election participation. He also pointed out that any potential crimes from 2020 have passed their statute of limitations.

The subpoena came after FBI agents seized hundreds of boxes of ballots and other documents during a January search warrant execution at the Fulton County election hub, as reported by AP News and CBS News. A federal judge had previously denied the county's request to force return of those materials in May.

Fulton County's legal team celebrated the courtroom victory after Judge Ray blocked the DOJ from obtaining the personal information of thousands of election workers. In a statement released Tuesday, county officials praised the ruling, calling it an important victory for election workers and the integrity of Georgia's election system. The judge concluded that the Justice Department was engaged in an 'arbitrary fishing expedition,' finding the subpoena unreasonable and ordering that it be quashed.

The FBI is also using some 260 staffers across the country to help examine records in the Fulton County investigation, according to a memo. The ruling marks the latest chapter in an ongoing legal battle over the federal government's investigation into the handling of the 2020 election in Fulton County. The county has not fully prevailed on every request before the court, as a judge denied Fulton County's effort to force the federal government to return original 2020 election ballots that had previously been seized by the FBI.