Federal judge blocks DOJ subpoena for Fulton workers

A federal judge has blocked the U.S. Department of Justice from obtaining the names and personal contact information of all election workers involved in the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County. U.S. District Judge William Ray quashed the grand jury subpoena on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, ruling the request was overly broad, unreasonable, and highly burdensome.

The Justice Department had obtained the subpoena in April, seeking the information for county employees and volunteer poll workers as part of an ongoing investigation. Federal attorney William McComb argued the subpoena was a routine investigative step and a pathway to interview individuals who may have witnessed misconduct. He stated the investigation was necessary to determine what specific charges could be brought.

In his ruling, Judge Ray called the scope of the request "staggering" and found it was not reasonably tied to the needs of the investigation. He emphasized that the statute of limitations for any potential crime arising from the 2020 election has long expired, meaning the information could not be used to bring charges. The judge wrote that while grand juries work with prosecutors to investigate alleged...