Local Politics
DOJ Threatens Prosecution of California Election Officials; Experts Call It Unsupported
Federal prosecutors appointed by President Trump sent a letter to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan threatening prosecution if election officials tabulate ballots from individuals identified as noncitizens. The DOJ also announced charges against 28 alleged noncitizen voters, including Vacaville resident Giezell Viduya Adawag. Elections and legal experts characterized the prosecution threat as legally unsupported, noting federal prosecutors would need to prove election officials intentionally committed a crime. Secretary Weber refused the DOJ's demand to sequester mail-in ballots within 48 hours, citing lack of methodology disclosure; the DOJ subsequently sued. Multiple county election officials in Solano, El Dorado, and Shasta counties said they lack tools to verify voter citizenship and acted in accordance with existing law.