Judge quashes subpoenas targeting top Minnesota Democrats

Justice DepartmentJudge quashes ‘unlawful’ subpoenas he says Trump administration was using to harass Minnesota DemocratsThe judge said that the subpoenas, served in January while the administration was ramping up its immigration enforcement efforts, were “no doubt” intended to harass Trump’s foes.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00A federal judge said there was substantial evidence that the subpoenas targeting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other Democrats were politically motivated.Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 22, 2026, 3:14 PM EDTBy Ryan J. Reilly and Dareh GregorianA federal judge has quashed subpoenas targeting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other officials, saying there was “no doubt” the subpoenas were issued to harass President Donald Trump’s political opponents and coerce them into taking official action. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz wrote that “the evidence that the challenged subpoenas were issued for unlawful reasons is overwhelming” and that the Trump administration “struggled — without success — to identify a single plausible investigatory justification for the subpoenas.”The record is “replete with direct evidence of the Trump administration — including the highest-ranking officials of the Department — threatening and attempting to punish states and localities that have adopted ‘sanctuary’ policies, as well as attempting to coerce those states and localities to devote resources to assist federal immigration enforcement,” wrote the judge, a George W. Bush appointee.A Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement after the ruling that the DOJ “takes the unlawful obstruction of federal law enforcement operations extremely seriously and will continue to act in full compliance with the law to investigate these matters.” The subpoenas were served in...