Fulton moves to block subpoena seeking personal data of 2020 election workers
FBI agents load roughly 700 boxes of 2020 election ballots and records into trucks during a criminal investigation into alleged voting irregularities at the Fulton County Elections Hub in Union City, Georgia, on January 28, 2026. (FOX 5)
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Fulton County election officials filed a motion Monday to quash a federal grand jury subpoena seeking the personal information of thousands of staff and volunteers who served during the November 2020 General Election.
What we know:
The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections is fighting an April 17 subpoena issued by a federal prosecutor from North Carolina. The government is demanding names, home addresses, personal emails, and phone numbers for nearly 3,000 people involved in ballot review, audits, and recounts.
The request is part of an investigation being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, with assistance from Terry Meinecke, an assistant U.S. attorney from the Middle District of North Carolina.
The request specifically includes individuals assigned to:
- Reviewing mail-in ballots.
- The Voter Review Panel or Board.
- Mobile voting locations.
- The transfer or transport of ballots and media.
- The Risk Limiting Audit and the subsequent recount.
- Precinct management roles.
The subpoena also covers any individuals employed or contracted by the board, as well as those who volunteered to review or tabulate ballots on Election Day.
What they're saying:
The motion to quash, signed by attorneys including Abbe David Lowell and Y. Soo Jo, calls the request "unprecedented and harassing."
Chairman Robb Pitts said the county will not be intimidated by what he described as an attempt to chill participation in the democratic process.
"This is yet another act of outrageous federal overreach designed to intimidate and to chill participation in elections. This harassment should not be allowed, so we have asked the court to act," Pitts said.
Dig deeper:
The subpoena targets individuals who worked on voter review panels, mobile voting locations, and the transportation of ballots. Many of these workers have already faced threats due to debunked conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 results, according to Fulton County's court filing.
Attorneys for the Fulton County board noted that federal law generally requires a reasonable interest in information for a criminal investigation. They argue that because no charges can be brought five years later, the government's interest is not legitimate.
What's next:
The subpoena commands the board's custodian of records to appear before a grand jury in Atlanta on Tuesday. The government has provided an option to submit the files electronically and sign a waiver of appearance to avoid physical testimony.
Additionally, the subpoena included a "Certificate of Authenticity of Domestic Records," which would allow the records to be admitted as evidence in a future trial without requiring the physical testimony of a custodian to authenticate them.
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The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a 27-page court filing by the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections, as well as a public statement from Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts. Additional information comes from a 6-page federal subpoena.