Federal Judge Dismisses Doj's Bid for Georgia Election Worker Names
WHO:
AP News - U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. District Judge William Ray, Fulton County, President Donald Trump
Alternet - MAGA accounts, conservative X account users
WHAT:
NY Post - U.S. District Judge William Ray stated, “that does not give the DOJ the right to use the Grand Jury to do whatever the DOJ wants,” in his ruling against the DOJ's subpoena.
Alternet - Judge Ray emphasized that the subpoena's breadth was "staggering" and noted that the DOJ's use of the grand jury power was not legitimate given the expired statute of limitations for any potential crime.
AP News - Judge Ray remarked, “Thus, everyone, whether you support the President or you do not, or whether you believe the 2020 Election was fair or believe that it was not, should be concerned about the DOJ’s ability to utilize the power of the Grand Jury to appropriate your private information without a legitimate purpose.”
Bloomberg Markets - A federal judge rejected the DOJ's effort to obtain information on election workers in Fulton County, Georgia, related to the 2020 vote.
AP News - The DOJ served a grand jury subpoena seeking the names and personal contact information of county employees and volunteer poll workers.
AP News - Judge Ray ruled that the subpoena was unreasonable and must be quashed, calling its scope "staggering."
AP News - The judge stated that the DOJ does not possess a need to enforce the subpoena greater than the burden of disclosure on Fulton County.
WHERE:
AP News - Fulton County, Georgia
WHEN:
AP News - The DOJ served the subpoena in April.
AP News - The FBI served a search warrant at the Fulton County election hub in January.
WHY:
AP News - Fulton County argued that the subpoena was meant to "target, harass and punish the President’s perceived political opponents."
AP News - The judge noted that the statute of limitations for any possible crime arising from the 2020 Election has long expired.
HOW:
AP News - The DOJ argued that the subpoena was the "next step in the normal investigative process" and sought "records identifying persons with relevant knowledge."
AP News - Judge Ray emphasized that the grand jury's power cannot be used for purposes without a legitimate law enforcement purpose.
(UPDATED July 8, 2026 02:50 UTC)
U.S. District Judge William Ray has ruled against the Department of Justice's subpoena, stating that it does not grant the DOJ the right to use the Grand Jury for any purpose it desires. He described the subpoena's scope as "staggering" and pointed out that the DOJ's use of grand jury power was illegitimate due to the expired statute of limitations for any potential crime. Judge Ray emphasized that everyone, regardless of their views on the President or the fairness of the 2020 Election, should be concerned about the DOJ's ability to access private information without a legitimate purpose.
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(UPDATED July 7, 2026 23:22 UTC)
A federal judge in Fulton County, Georgia, has rejected the U.S. Department of Justice's attempt to obtain information on election workers related to the 2020 vote, ruling that the subpoena was unreasonable and must be quashed. Judge William Ray stated that the DOJ's need to enforce the subpoena does not outweigh the burden it places on county employees and volunteer poll workers, emphasizing that the grand jury's power cannot be misused without a legitimate law enforcement purpose. Additionally, Fulton County argued that the subpoena was intended to target and harass political opponents of President Trump, and the judge noted that any potential crimes related to the 2020 election are beyond the statute of limitations.