Primary sources: alabamareflector.com, calmatters.org

A federal grand jury in Santa Ana, California, issued three subpoenas in late October to Los Angeles County election officials seeking records on how the county handled a federal list of about 20,000 suspected noncitizen voters, States Newsroom reported Friday in a package carried by Alabama Reflector¹.

Two subpoenas went to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk on Oct. 21 and a third on Oct. 24, the outlet said, citing copies obtained through a records request¹. ABC News said it reviewed subpoenas that also demand testimony from some registrar employees on Nov. 4, the day after Election Day².

An Oct. 24 Justice Department letter said at least one subpoena was issued in an official criminal investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, and the county was told to produce records by Nov. 4^1,3.

The department sued California on Oct. 15, two days after telling state and local officials that the Department of Homeland Security had identified about 20,000 suspected noncitizens on the voter roll, and asked that those ballots be set aside unless voters prove citizenship¹.

Federal courts ruled against the Justice Department three times in late October: a 9th U.S. Circuit denial on Oct. 26, a denial of an emergency order by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter on Oct. 28, and another 9th Circuit denial on Oct. 30, States Newsroom reported¹. Los Angeles Daily News said the administration appealed Carter's ruling³.

The subpoenas seek records on how officials responded to federal warnings, how they screen for unlawful voting, and any material suggesting someone aided noncitizen voting in a federal election^1,2. Los Angeles Daily News said the L.A. County papers were addressed to the executive liaison, assistant registrar-recorder/county clerk and records custodian³.

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said officials are following state and federal law and that district and appeals courts have confirmed they are acting legally^1,2. Logan said, "Threats and intimidation have no place in elections"¹.

The Justice Department declined to comment on leaks about alleged grand jury subpoenas and said that while it still seeks a civil remedy, noncitizen voting is properly addressed through criminal law^1,2. ABC News quoted Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter as writing that noncitizen voting in a federal election is a federal crime².

ABC News, citing multiple sources, said the department issued additional grand jury subpoenas to California local officials on Thursday². CalMatters said at least four elections workers in the state received criminal grand jury subpoenas over about a week, including one delivered Thursday after Carter's order⁴.

Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page said he received a subpoena Oct. 29 seeking unredacted voter registration information for 60 possible registrants and planned to provide responsive documents, as his office did with three September subpoenas covering 20 people, three of whose names reappeared^3,4.

CalMatters said county officials across California reported that spot checks found the government's list inaccurate, and that only San Luis Obispo County had announced it would investigate names from Justice Department demand letters⁴. It attributed to Bloomberg Law, citing unnamed sources, a claim that department leaders directed prosecutors to pursue criminal subpoenas of state and local officials⁴.

Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, told a court this week that election officials could face criminal liability if they aid noncitizen voting by counting those ballots, States Newsroom reported¹. Unions and civil rights groups sued Thursday in the Northern District of California seeking an order that federal officials stop threatening workers who refuse to segregate the ballots¹. Eleven Republican-led states filed an amicus brief backing the department's demand that California segregate the ballots¹. Washington officials received a Justice Department demand to segregate about 400 suspected noncitizen ballots; Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said a preliminary review found the list includes U.S. citizens¹. It is not clear whether Los Angeles County will challenge the subpoenas¹.