Story perspectives

Judge brands DOJ subpoenas meritless; USCIS data merge illegal

6/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

Federal judge calls DOJ subpoenas of Minnesota officials motivated and meritless, an abuse of power.
President Donald Trump's administration proposes raising appeal fees to $1,475, linking grants to election-system changes, facing legal challenges.
Democrats say the Iran memorandum misreads a $300 billion fund and shows hawkish bias.
A court finds U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) merger of Social Security numbers with citizenship data violated privacy laws, causing wrongful voter-roll removals.

History

Historical Context

The June 17 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee offices sparked the Watergate scandal, leading the Senate Watergate Committee to gather extensive testimony and the Supreme Court to order the release of White House tapes. The scandal resulted in 69 people being charged and prompted reforms that shape today’s legal battles over executive subpoenas.

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Story summary

Federal judge calls DOJ subpoenas of Minnesota officials motivated and meritless, an abuse of power.
President Donald Trump's administration proposes raising appeal fees to $1,475, linking grants to election-system changes, facing legal challenges.
Democrats say the Iran memorandum misreads a $300 billion fund and shows hawkish bias.
A court finds U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) merger of Social Security numbers with citizenship data violated privacy laws, causing wrongful voter-roll removals.

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