California Supreme Court halts GOP sheriff's voter fraud investigation
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- The California Supreme Court has ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to halt his investigation into alleged fraud in the November 2025 special election and to preserve all seized ballots while the court reviews the case.
- Sheriff Bianco, a Republican and gubernatorial candidate, had seized over 650,000 ballots claiming an investigation into election irregularities based on a citizen-led audit.
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized Bianco’s actions as unlawful and destabilizing, praising the court's decision to stop the investigation pending further litigation.
- The election in question involved a single ballot measure approving a new Democratic-drawn congressional map, which voters statewide and in Riverside County passed, potentially increasing Democratic House seats.
- Media outlets have requested the court to unseal the warrant used to seize the ballots, amid ongoing scrutiny of election fraud claims reminiscent of controversies surrounding the 2020 election.
