Warrants Released in California Sheriff’s Fraud Allegations from 2025 Special Election
California Supreme Court Halts Bianco’s Voter Fraud Investigation
In a significant legal development, the California Supreme Court has ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to suspend his investigation into alleged voter fraud related to the 2025 special election. The decision follows a request from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who argued that Bianco lacks authority over election materials. A voting rights group is also contesting the seizure of ballots involved in the case.
The court’s ruling coincides with the unsealing of search warrants that allowed Bianco to seize hundreds of thousands of ballots. The warrants were publicized Wednesday after multiple news organizations, including KTVU FOX 2 and Fox Television Stations, filed a motion in Riverside County Superior Court seeking transparency regarding the documents.
At the center of Bianco’s allegations is a reported "unexplainable disparity of some 45,000 votes," highlighted by the Riverside Election Integrity Team, a local activist group. However, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters has dismissed these concerns as unfounded, citing flawed tallying methods. In contrast, local election officials found a discrepancy of only 103 ballots using the standard counting procedures.
Despite the Registrar’s findings, Bianco’s department cited the activist group’s higher figures as probable cause to obtain two search warrants. The warrants reveal a contentious confrontation between voting officials and law enforcement, with Registrar staff initially refusing to release ballot materials. Ultimately, Bianco’s team seized nearly 650,000 ballots that were cast in the November 2025 special election, despite claims that these discrepancies would not have altered the election’s outcome.
The ongoing legal tussle between Bianco and Attorney General Bonta has escalated, with Bonta labeling Bianco a "rogue sheriff." He expressed gratitude for the Supreme Court’s intervention, asserting that the sheriff’s actions were destabilizing.
In a statement, Bonta remarked, “What the Sheriff says and what he does are often two different things. Today’s decision by the California Supreme Court reins in the destabilizing actions of a rogue Sheriff, prohibiting him from continuing this investigation while our litigation continues.”
Bianco defended his actions, stating on social media that he aims to ensure an accurate accounting of the ballots, accusing Bonta of using legal means to obstruct his investigation.
