Federal Investigation into California Election Process Following Fraud Claims

A federal investigation into California’s election process has started after former President Donald Trump alleged widespread fraud in the state’s June 2 primary. The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles confirmed launching several election fraud investigations and sent a prosecutor to monitor the vote-counting center. California’s ballot processing system often faces criticism from conservatives for its prolonged counting timelines.

The inquiry began shortly after Trump claimed mass fraud connected to the vote counting in the state, which has over 23 million registered voters. Election observers warn that such claims, made before certifying final results, can spread misinformation and reduce public trust. Late-counted mail ballots, which lean Democratic, narrow margins for candidates endorsed by Trump in races for governor and Los Angeles mayor.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed these developments. They involved a visit to the ballot tabulation center in Los Angeles County. Newsweek reached out to the White House for comments outside regular hours.

Trump Alleges Election Fraud

Trump repeated his allegations on Friday in Wisconsin, suggesting Democrats manipulated the vote count despite a lack of evidence. “You look at what’s happening—it’s getting tighter and tighter,” Trump said. “And the people who were supposed to win, bad things are happening. It’s a crooked state.” Later, at the White House, he claimed suspicious ballots surfaced during the counting process, stating California election officials “found a lot of mail-in ballots last night, shockingly.”

After the primary, Trump published a series of posts on Truth Social, alleging fraud and irregularities with mail-in ballots and the counting pace in California. On June 5, he wrote, “Watch California, everybody! Our election process is as bad, or worse, than any Third World Country. The biggest difference is, they count their Votes much faster—they don’t wait seven days to tell you who won, rigging the Election during each and every one of them.” On June 4, he accused Democrats of stealing the vote: “Look what’s happening in California, the Dumocrats, right before our very eyes, are stealing the Vote. I hope the Republicans are watching so that they can finally pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT!”

He also wrote, “There’s BIG cheating by the Dumocrats in California. Votes are all tied up. May not be in for weeks. Under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. Why the vote counting DELAY???” In another post, he stated, “The Dumocrats are at it again! They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS.”

California’s Voting System

California often supports Democrats in presidential and statewide elections. In 2020, Joe Biden won the state decisively. High voter turnout in that election was largely due to expanded mail-in voting during COVID-19. Mail ballots account for about 80 percent of votes in California, and state law allows ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day if postmarked in time.

For primary elections, like those recently held for governor and LA mayor, California uses a “jungle” primary system. This arrangement permits the top two candidates, irrespective of party, to advance. The system often results in protracted counting, especially in close races.

Last month, Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom addressed election officials, praising their dedication and warning that lengthy counts facilitate false narratives. “We must acknowledge that the longer the vote count takes, the more mis- and dis-information spreads,” he wrote. “That means we must do all that we can to tabulate votes quickly and accurately.”

Election observers echo these concerns. “Conducting elections with integrity and ensuring that every eligible vote is counted are fundamental,” said Mike DuHaime of the Democracy Defense Project, a bipartisan effort against election misinformation. He added that delays can erode public trust and increase uncertainty.

Election Fraud Claims

Trump’s recent fraud allegations reflect a broader pattern since his 2020 defeat, when he claimed the election was “stolen.” His allegations involved mail-in ballots, voting machines, and irregularities in pivotal states. Over 60 legal challenges were filed after that election across states like Pennsylvania and Georgia. Courts rejected claims due to insufficient evidence or legal standing. Many cases, even those before judges appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents, were dismissed or failed on the merits.