A federal judge has rejected a U.S. Department of Justice attempt to obtain the names and contact details of Fulton County, Georgia, election workers from the 2020 election. U.S. District Judge William Ray ruled that the grand jury subpoena was "grossly over broad and untethered to any reasonable need," and that its scope was "staggering."

The Justice Department had sought the information, arguing it was a "normal investigative process" to identify individuals with relevant knowledge. Fulton County countered that the subpoena was intended to "target, harass and punish" and would chill future election worker participation. The judge agreed, noting the statute of limitations for potential crimes related to the 2020 election had likely expired, rendering the information unusable for charging purposes.

This ruling limits the scope of federal investigations into election integrity claims and raises concerns about the potential misuse of grand jury powers for broad information gathering without a clear law enforcement objective. It signals a judicial check on investigatory overreach, particularly in politically charged contexts, and underscores the importance of specific, actionable grounds for such requests.