Judge Finds Justice Dept. Overreach in Subpoenas to Minnesota Officials (New York Times Gift Article)

[LetMyPeopleVote]

The judge quashed the subpoenas, writing that they were designed to “harass and retaliate against” Democratic officials who bucked the Trump administration on immigration enforcement.

Link to tweet

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/22/us/minnesota-democrats-judge-ruling.html?unlocked_article_code=1.sFA.zzxm.z-vy8JiNZ6fN&smid=nytcore-ios-share

A federal judge in Minnesota quashed the Justice Department’s subpoenas of state and local officials in a ruling unsealed on Monday, finding that the Trump administration had engaged in a politically motivated and improper use of the grand jury process. Those subpoenas were issued at the height of the administration’s winter immigration crackdown in the state.

Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz wrote in a highly critical opinion that “the dominant purpose of the challenged subpoenas is to coerce Minnesota officials into assisting the federal government with enforcing civil immigration law and to harass and retaliate against them for failing to do so.”...

Judge Schiltz wrote on Monday that the justification given for the subpoenas was an investigation into possible violations of federal laws that make it illegal to conceal an undocumented immigration or obstruct the government.

But in fact, the judge wrote, the “subpoenas are directed to investigating activity that is not only legal, but constitutionally protected from interference by the very federal government that issued the subpoenas.”

[Lovie777]

1. MAGAs are going to the top....

the 6 RW assholes.

[brer cat]

2. Good.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

3. Ya know folks,

I'm getting used to Trumpedo and his criminal gang's constant "winning".

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. There will be some disbarments after this is all over

I want to see these assholes disciplined or disbarred

[MarineCombatEngineer]

5. "disciplined or disbarred"

and, hopefully, imprisoned for crimes against humanity.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

6. MaddowBlog-Judge smacks down DOJ on subpoenas for Minnesota officials, including Walz and Frey

The jurist condemned “the Trump administration’s well-established history of using criminal investigations to retaliate” against Trump’s political foes.

Judge smacks down DOJ on subpoenas for Minnesota officials, including Walz and Frey.

The jurist condemned “the Trump administration’s well-established history of using criminal investigations to retaliate” against Trump’s political foes.

www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— TheBlackPage (Woke, DEI forever against fascism) (@theblackpage.bsky.social) 2026-06-22T21:53:04.418Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/judge-smacks-down-doj-subpoenas-minnesota-walz-frey

But this wasn’t the only foray from Donald Trump’s Justice Department related to Minnesota. Politico reported:

A federal judge has thrown out Justice Department grand jury subpoenas aimed at Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his allies, calling them an abusive and retaliatory process to punish Walz based on his refusal to assist President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

In a blistering ruling, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz said there was “no doubt” that the subpoenas were issued to damage Walz — part of what he said was a pattern of Trump administration efforts to use criminal process to punish the president’s adversaries.

“Initiating a criminal investigation in order to harass political opponents or to coerce them into taking official action — particularly official action that the federal government cannot directly require those political opponents to take — is a blatantly unlawful and unethical use the grand-jury process,” Schiltz, who was appointed by George W. Bush, wrote in a 29-page ruling unsealed Monday.....

A few days after the Journal’s report reached the public, the Justice Department opened an investigation into Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

Evidently, the federal judge who just threw out DOJ grand jury subpoenas aimed at Minnesota officials took note of these relevant details.

Trump’s repeated vows of “retribution,” Schiltz wrote, “establishes beyond reasonable dispute” that the grand jury subpoenas “were a part of a broader campaign to coerce state and local officials in Minnesota to assist the Trump administration in its enforcement of immigration laws.”

In case that weren’t quite enough, the jurist tied the subpoenas to what he called “the Trump administration’s well-established history of using criminal investigations to retaliate against and pressure the President’s political and personal adversaries.”

Walz celebrated the decision as “a victory for the rule of law and our democracy,” which it most certainly was, notwithstanding the likely appeal.