A federal judge appointed by former President Donald Trump has blocked the Justice Department's attempt to subpoena extensive records from Fulton County election workers related to the 2020 presidential race.Judge William M.

Ray II ruled that the DOJ's request, which sought vast amounts of personal information about thousands of election officials, was 'staggering' and lacked a legitimate legal basis.

The judge emphasized that the statute of limitations for any potential crimes tied to the 2020 election has expired, rendering the subpoena an 'arbitrary fishing expedition.

' This decision comes amid heightened scrutiny of election integrity claims following the FBI's recent seizure of election materials in Georgia.

Ray warned that such broad subpoenas could enable future administrations to exploit the grand jury process for political purposes, potentially infringing on citizens' privacy without proper justification.

The ruling underscores growing tensions between investigative agencies and judicial oversight, particularly regarding the scope of legal actions in politically sensitive cases.