DoJ charges six in California voter fraud probe

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has charged six individuals with alleged voter fraud, accusing them of making false statements on naturalization applications. The charges were outlined in initial complaints written by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents.

The six defendants, all green card holders, are accused of unlawfully registering to vote and later falsely claiming they had never previously registered. They are not facing charges specifically related to fraudulent voting.

The DoJ is seeking to force California election officials to set aside roughly 20,000 ballots, claiming they may belong to noncitizens who fraudulently registered. State election officials have criticized the DoJ’s methodology as unreliable and logistically unfeasible during an ongoing election.

Federal prosecutors have faced legal challenges, with multiple judges rebuffing the DoJ’s efforts as unconstitutional and a threat to democracy. The US supreme court on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s appeals.

Five of the six defendants have been arrested, with charges carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The defendants have not been formally indicted, and it is unclear if they have obtained legal representation.

Essayli told reporters the government had used 'third-party databases' to identify potentially fraudulent voters, acknowledging the list may not be 100% accurate but asserting a high confidence rate. A federal judge blocked the administration from continuing to threaten election officials.