Group Sues Shasta County Over Secret Subpoena
The First Amendment Coalition argues the county wrongly withheld a federal grand jury subpoena issued to its elections chief.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Elections
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The First Amendment Coalition has sued Shasta County after the county refused to release a federal grand jury subpoena issued to Shasta County Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis. The lawsuit was filed in Shasta County Superior Court and is titled North State Community Journalism v. County of Shasta.
Why it matters
The subpoena is part of a series issued to local elections officials across California, making the dispute relevant to how election oversight is handled statewide. Shasta County's position that federal law requires secrecy is being challenged as an incorrect reading of the rules.
A federal grand jury subpoena was received by Shasta County Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis on September 10, 2026, and the county has declined to release it. The FAC sent a letter to county counsel on September 25 explaining the county's error, but the subpoena remains withheld.
The players
First Amendment Coalition
A California-based nonprofit legal advocacy organization that litigates press and public-records rights, led in this case by Legal Director David Loy.
Clint Curtis
Shasta County Registrar of Voters who received the federal grand jury subpoena and who had publicly raised claims of election fraud before losing his seat in the June election.
Shasta County
The northern California county whose government is defending the decision to withhold the subpoena and is the defendant in the lawsuit.
The details
Shasta Scout and CalMatters each asked the county to disclose the subpoena, and the county refused, contending federal law requires it be kept secret. Curtis had made claims about election fraud in the county's June election, lost his seat in that race, and the FBI has visited the county's elections office.
Timeline
June 2026: Curtis made election fraud claims in the county's June election and lost his seat.
September 10, 2026: Curtis received the federal grand jury subpoena.
September 25, 2026: The First Amendment Coalition sent a letter to Shasta County Counsel.
Legal Context
The subpoenas are part of a series sent to local elections officials across California, placing Shasta County's withholding within a broader statewide pattern of federal scrutiny of election administration. The public's right to learn about such subpoenas is now being tested in state court against the county's claim of federal secrecy.
Residents of Shasta County and other California counties may see greater or lesser public access to federal inquiries into their local elections depending on how this lawsuit is resolved. The outcome could determine whether similar subpoenas issued to local officials are disclosed to the public.
The takeaway
Public access to subpoenas directed at local election officials is an open question that the Shasta County court will help answer. Readers following election administration should watch how the court weighs federal secrecy claims against state public-records rights.
Further reading
Follow the latest developments in Elections coverage for more on how election oversight is playing out across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Action News Now.
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