DOJ charges 28 California residents in election-related cases

Federal prosecutors announced charges Oct. 19 against 28 lawful permanent residents in California and said 11 had been arrested. The charges are allegations, not findings of guilt.

The Justice Department described different alleged offenses, including false statements in naturalization matters, fraudulent voter registration and voting by a noncitizen. DOJ said the 28 people were also on a federal list of more than 20,000 people it considers likely noncitizens; that assertion does not establish the status or voting history of everyone on the list.

Separately, the United States filed a civil lawsuit against California on Oct. 15. On Oct. 19, it asked a court to require the state to set aside ballots associated with people on the federal list and verify their citizenship before counting them. The request is not a court order and requires court approval.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta disputed the federal government’s broader claims and said he expected the state to prevail in the lawsuit. The Associated Press reported that Bonta described isolated voting-fraud cases as a small fraction of California’s 23 million registered voters. The criminal cases proceed separately from the civil lawsuit.