Federal authorities in California have initiated investigations into the state’s recent elections following President Donald Trump’s claims of fraud. Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, announced the pursuit of multiple election fraud investigations in collaboration with the FBI. Details of these investigations were not disclosed.
Essayli stated, “We will follow the evidence wherever it leads and prosecute any violations of federal election law to the fullest extent.” He has criticized California’s mail voting, which Trump often targets in his fraud claims.
The FBI has not commented on election-related investigations in California. Meanwhile, a federal prosecutor from the U.S. attorney’s office visited the Los Angeles County ballot processing center, as confirmed by the L.A. County registrar’s office. The registrar’s office mentioned that a government attorney was sent to observe ballot processing activities.
“The individual arrived this morning, was provided an overview of the public observation program, and participated in a walkthrough of the ballot processing operations,” the registrar spokesperson said.
Ballot processing is open to public observation, allowing election officials to host observers from various interests such as politicians, advocacy groups, and the public.
The Justice Department has not responded to inquiries about the prosecutor’s visit. These developments follow Trump’s claim that Democrats are allegedly trying to steal the California primary elections.
Trump voiced concerns over Truth Social, stating there is cheating by Democrats and questioning vote counting delays. However, under California’s vote-by-mail system, ballots postmarked before or on election day and received within seven days are eligible to be counted. This process can lead to delays in announcing winners.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, was declared winner eight days post-election in 2022. Mail ballots, typically favoring Democrats, are a significant factor in the blue-leaning state.
Under California’s election system, the top two candidates in primary races advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. As vote counting persists, Trump and allies, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, criticize the process.
NBC News projects Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra will move to the general election. Hilton and Democratic Tom Steyer are competing for the second spot. In Los Angeles’ mayoral race, Trump-backed Spencer Pratt competes with Democrat Nithya Raman to face Bass in November.
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