A federal judge on Tuesday denied the Justice Department’s request for personal information from election workers in Fulton County, Georgia, related to an investigation into former President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

U.S. District Judge William Ray ruled that the DOJ could not use a Grand Jury subpoena to investigate these claims or subpoena private information without a legitimate law enforcement purpose. He described the government’s April request as “staggering,” noting it sought sensitive personal details including names, positions, residential and email addresses, and personal cell phone numbers.

“The information sought herein … is private and sensitive, so much so that should a private company fail to protect such information from electronic thieves, such company would most likely be sued in a data breach class action lawsuit,” Judge Ray wrote. He further cautioned that all individuals, regardless of their political views or beliefs about the 2020 election’s fairness, should be concerned about the DOJ’s ability to use Grand Jury powers to obtain private information without a legitimate purpose.

The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections had objected to the subpoena in May, highlighting that the request would affect thousands of employees and volunteers involved in the election.

Judge Ray emphasized that his order does not comment on the DOJ’s legitimate interest in investigating alleged fraud. He acknowledged the polarized political climate, stating, “there are sure to be some who disagree with this decision because they believe the allegations of fraud in the 2020 Election and believe that ‘light’ should be brought to those claims.”

Fulton County has been central to President Trump’s claims that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the court’s order an “important win” but noted that the Trump administration will continue its fraud investigation.

Sources