North Carolina elections board to fight federal subpoenas

September 7, 2018

WWAY News,

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina’s election board says it will fight the subpoenas federal prosecutors sent seeking millions of voting documents and years of ballots.

The State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement voted unanimously Friday to ask state attorneys to work to block the subpoenas, issued last week to the state board and local boards in 44 counties, including New Hanover, Brunswick, Bladen, Columbus and Pender.

U.S. Attorney Bobby Higdon in Raleigh issued the subpoenas, and hasn’t said specifically why immigration enforcement investigators are seeking the information for a grand jury empaneled in Wilmington.

Board member Joshua Malcolm says the subpoenas were overly broad and significantly affect the interests of voters.

The board directive came a day after an assistant federal prosecutor said Higdon’s office is willing to narrow the requests and won’t require compliance until next year