{"id":2599021,"date":"2026-05-05T14:16:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T18:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fulton-county-fights-doj-subpoena-for-election-worker-data\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T14:24:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T18:24:28","slug":"fulton-county-fights-doj-subpoena-for-election-worker-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fulton-county-fights-doj-subpoena-for-election-worker-data\/","title":{"rendered":"Fulton County fights DOJ subpoena for election worker data"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffulton-county-fights-doj-subpoena-for-election-worker-data%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2599021&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Fulton County election officials are asking a federal court to block a Department of Justice subpoena seeking personal details-names, addresses, and phone numbers-of thousands of Fulton County poll workers from the 2020 election.They argue the request is overly broad, would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/crisis-in-ukraine\/\" title=\"Crisis In Ukraine\">expose private individuals<\/a> to harassment, infringes poll workers\u2019 First Amendment rights, and amounts to unreasonable federal interference in Georgia\u2019s state-run election system.<\/p>\n<p>The dispute is part of a wider DOJ and FBI examination into alleged irregularities in how Fulton County handled the 2020 election. Federal agents previously carried out a search warrant at a Fulton County elections facility in January,seizing ballots and related materials,and new filings indicate the process moved quickly after the investigation was referred.<\/p>\n<p>DOJ officials defend using criminal legal tools, saying they require a higher standard than civil requests and that their actions are not a tactic to obtain contested records faster. Fulton County counters that the rapid timeline suggests unusual urgency and that the investigation appears aimed at obtaining records previously challenged in earlier state and local lawsuits, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/just-like-nato-the-united-nations-destroys-world-peace\/\" title=\"Just Like NATO, The United Nations Destroys World Peace\">including disputes involving<\/a> the Georgia election board.<\/p>\n<p>The latest filings also question whether the subpoena is actually connected to a grand jury, noting it is directed to a prosecutor in an office tasked with overseeing election investigations nationwide. Fulton County leaders have called the subpoena \u201coutrageous federal overreach.\u201d The DOJ has not publicly commented. A federal judge in Georgia is expected to rule as litigation continues over both the subpoena and the earlier seizure of election materials.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fulton-county\/\">Fulton County<\/a> election officials are seeking to block a federal subpoena seeking personal data on thousands of 2020 poll workers, escalating a legal clash with the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Justice Department<\/a> over the scope of its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-special-counsel-sends-subpoenas-to-officials-in-7-states\/\" title=\"Trump Special Counsel Sends ...s To Officials In 7 ...\">election-related investigation<\/a> into the Georgia county.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/72092988\/1729\/v\/\">motion filed Monday<\/a> in federal court, the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections asked a court to quash an April DOJ subpoena filed that requests names, addresses, and phone numbers of election workers who participated in the 2020 vote. County officials said the demand is overly broad and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >risks exposing private individuals<\/a> to potential harassment, while also intruding on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/georgia\/\">Georgia<\/a>\u2019s authority to administer its own elections.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4555078\/attorneys-general-urged-revisit-contracts-shady-8-dem-donating-firms\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Attorneys general urged to revisit contracts with \u2018Shady Eight\u2019 Democrat-donating firms<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4553934\/judge-rants-january-6-inmates-treated-better-than-alleged-whca-dinner-gunman\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Judge rants that Jan. 6 inmates were treated better than alleged WHCA dinner gunman<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4552833\/thom-tillis-86-comey-trump-seashells\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Tillis says \u201986\u2019 has roots in restaurant industry after Comey indicted for alleged Trump post<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center, is seen Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Union City, Ga, near Atlanta, as FBI agents search at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-fulton-countys-election-wars-escalated-into-an-fbi-raid\/\" title=\"How Fulton ...\u2019s election wars escalated into an ... raid\">main election facility<\/a>. (AP Photo\/Mike Stewart)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThe subpoena threatens the First Amendment rights of election workers and will chill their participation in elections,\u201d Fulton County said in its filing, adding that the subpoena represents an \u201cunreasonable\u201d federal intrusion into state-run election processes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The dispute stems from a broader investigation led by the DOJ and FBI into what federal officials have described as irregularities in how Fulton County conducted the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2020-elections\/\">2020 election<\/a>. That inquiry has been a focal point for President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> and his administration, which has continued to scrutinize the handling of the race in Georgia, a state he narrowly lost that year.<\/p>\n<p>As part of the investigation, federal agents executed a search warrant in January at a Fulton County elections facility, seizing ballots and related materials. Newly disclosed court filings show the investigation has accelerated. According to a DOJ timeline <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.gand.355452\/gov.uscourts.gand.355452.101.0.pdf\">posted to the docket on May 1<\/a>, a referral was made on Jan. 5, and within 23 days, agents had secured and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4437558\/fbi-executes-search-warrant-at-fulton-county-election-facility\/\">executed a search warrant<\/a> on the facility.<\/p>\n<p>Federal officials have defended their use of the criminal process to obtain records, arguing in court that it imposes a higher legal standard than civil requests and reflects the seriousness of the inquiry. They have also pushed back on claims that the investigation is a workaround to obtain materials more quickly, calling that theory unfounded.<\/p>\n<p>Fulton County officials, however, have pointed to the rapid timeline as evidence that the government prioritized the matter unusually quickly.<\/p>\n<p>In its separate course of litigation seeking the return of seized election-related materials, county attorneys have argued the investigation appears designed to obtain records that had previously been contested in civil court between the Georgia Board of Elections and the county, which is chaired by a Republican majority, among other local-level lawsuits.<\/p>\n<p>The latest subpoena fight adds another layer to that ongoing litigation. In their motion, county lawyers questioned whether the request was even tied to a grand jury, noting that the records were directed to a prosecutor in the office of Dan Bishop, who has been tasked with overseeing election-related investigations nationwide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[T]here is no indication \u2026 that the grand jury is even aware of this investigation,\u201d the filing states, raising concerns about how the subpoena power is being used. The county further claims the subpoena for election worker data \u201cdoes not suggest that the grand jury is conducting an investigation of its own,\u201d but rather that the \u201cDOJ is simply conducting its own investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts described the subpoena as \u201coutrageous federal overreach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ has not publicly commented on the latest Fulton County motion.<\/p>\n<p>The clash comes as federal authorities work to obtain election-related data in another state that was the target of 2020 election criticism, Arizona\u2019s Maricopa County, as well as to access voter rolls and other records.<\/p>\n<p>So far, the DOJ\u2019s most difficult election-related initiative has been its efforts to obtain voter data. After suing 29 states to obtain it, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.democracydocket.com\/news-alerts\/trump-doj-loses-again-now-0-for-5-on-voter-roll-cases-as-court-rejects-rhode-island-lawsuit\/\">the DOJ has lost five of its initial district court battles<\/a> thus far in that nationwide effort.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4530864\/adrian-fontes-fbi-raid-arizona-emails\/\">DEMOCRATIC SECRETARY OF STATE WAS \u2018PREPARED\u2019 FOR FBI RAID IN ARIZONA, EMAILS SHOW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Due to long-standing guardrails that keep state and federal election management separate, the Trump administration will likely need review by a higher court to determine the bounds of federal intervention in circumstances where states may lack up-to-date voter rolls.<\/p>\n<p>A federal judge in Georgia is expected to weigh the DOJ and Fulton County\u2019s competing claims as litigation over both the subpoena and the earlier ballot seizure continues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fulton County asks to block DOJ subpoena for 2020 poll worker data<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2599022,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26028752529576.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[71556,32644,79146,32987,32869],"class_list":["post-2599021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-doj-subpoena","tag-election-integrity","tag-election-worker-data","tag-fulton-county","tag-legal-battle"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26028752529576.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2599021"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2599025,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599021\/revisions\/2599025"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2599022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2599021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2599021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2599021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}