California Court Upholds Riverside County Sheriff’s Election Fraud Investigation
An appellate court on Tuesday denied the attorney general’s bid to block a Riverside County Sheriff probe. The California court’s decision left an election fraud investigation moving forward.
Legal fight and officials’ statements
Rob Bonta’s office said the appellate ruling turned on venue, not the petition’s merits. Bonta’s team said the sheriff continues to defy instructions and may violate state law.
They said they are evaluating next steps.
Ballot seizure and Prop 50 results
Sheriff Chad Bianco seized more than 611,000 ballots from a Prop 50 special election. The measure redrew maps and shifted five Republican U.S. House seats to favor Democrats.
Prop 50 passed in Riverside County with more than 56% of the vote. Supporters outpaced opponents by about 82,570 votes, according to The Associated Press.
Allegations and election officials’ response
Bianco said a local group reported a discrepancy of roughly 45,800 votes to the Secretary of State. He described the work as a fact-finding physical count to match reported totals.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber rejected the allegations as unsupported. She said deputies lack election expertise and that such claims can erode public trust.
County elections officials said the machine count and the final tally differed by about 100 votes. The Riverside County Registrar of Voters said it will comply with lawful court orders.
Legal standards and procedure
Bonta’s office said Bianco has not identified a specific crime needed for a criminal search warrant. A civil process exists for recounts and challenges, and it reportedly was not used here.
Political context and polls
Bianco is a Republican running for governor. Until March, polls often showed him and conservative commentator Steve Hilton leading.
California’s top-two primary advances the two highest finishers in June to November. Democrats typically capture roughly 60% of statewide vote.
Polling in mid-March showed Hilton at 19 percent and Tom Steyer at 13 percent. Eric Swalwell, Chad Bianco, and Katie Porter each polled around 11 percent.
Xavier Becerra polled at five percent in the UC Berkeley-Politico survey. An Emerson College poll showed similar results and placed Swalwell and Hilton atop the field.
Campaign implications
Political consultant Paul Mitchell warned that many candidates could split the Democratic vote. He suggested this could produce candidates with single-digit support or low teens percentages.
Next steps and outlook
Bonta’s office said it is considering additional legal options. The court’s denial focused on venue, not the election’s underlying claims.
Bianco maintains the probe is unrelated to his campaign. He said he has a duty to investigate alleged crimes in his county.
Filmogaz.com will continue to monitor developments. We will report new filings and decisions as they occur.
