U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli provided an update Sunday on his office's investigations into voter fraud in California during an interview with KCRA News' Ashley Zavala. He confirmed that investigators have found definitive evidence of fraud but are still working to determine how widespread it is.
Essayli went on to say that he expects the investigations to result in criminal charges and questioned why California politicians and others have been so resistant to acknowledging election fraud. He also explained that comments from Trump administration officials, including President Trump himself, are not claims that an election was stolen, but rather an acknowledgment that California's election system and laws leave many people suspicious of the results—a problem he argued stems directly from the state's election laws.
Amid elections investigation, @USAttyEssayli says his office has found evidence of voter fraud in California.
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) June 15, 2026
Is his office investigating state/local government? Essayli could not say, per DOJ rules.
"Is this widespread fraud?... that's the question we're trying to answer" pic.twitter.com/AJK4i8LdYH
"There's a lot of talk in the media that there's no evidence of voter fraud. So we just wanted to be very clear about that, that there is evidence," Essayli said. "And in fact, we charged a case just last month of an individual who was paying homeless people to register to vote with fictitious information. So that's not a theory. There is evidence of voter fraud. And what I've said is that we have other similar multiple investigations that are ongoing. Under longstanding DOJ rules, we can't discuss the specifics of any investigation, but they are ongoing. And I do believe they will result in criminal charges in the near future."
"We have various investigations at various stages. So some of them are more developed and they're ready to charge. Others are brand new and being worked up. And we are getting tips every day from the public of potential leads of new cases," he added. "So there's a lot of things going on. It's not just one case. There are multiple cases."
"I think sort of the question you're getting to, Ashley, and a lot of reporters will ask is, is this widespread fraud? How spread is it? And I think that's really the question we're trying to answer. I don't have an answer for that because those require intense investigations. And so what I can say right now is, is there evidence of fraud? Yes, there are," Essayli said. "Are they just multiple isolated incidences or is there some bigger connection to the two? That's under investigation. And we're going to get to the bottom of that."
But what I don't understand is the resistance from leaders, elected officials, and the media to resist looking into these claims. And so we're not prejudging anything. We're not concluding anything. All I've said is our office is taking this seriously. We will follow the evidence wherever it goes. There are investigations. They will result in and we'd like to get to the bottom of how widespread this goes. And that's also why we're calling for an audit. I think the audit is the best way to reassure the public that there isn't widespread fraud. And that's something that we've demanded the state of California comply with. But so far they've resisted.
Essayli went on to downplay accusations of "rigged" elections, at least in its more serious implications, arguing that California's election system is simply not designed in a way that promotes public confidence.
I asked @USAttyEssayli if his office has been talking with President Trump about the election and where the President got the idea that CA's election was "rigged."
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) June 15, 2026
"Rigged doesn't have to mean illegal.. I think he's referring to the entire system as a whole breeds suspicion.." pic.twitter.com/wZTKv5u6vM
This comes as outrage erupted last week after Los Angeles mayoral candidate and Republican Spencer Pratt lost in the city's primary to incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and progressive City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, despite a strong Election Day performance. Despite leading Raman, after less than a week, Pratt had begun to trail and lost out on advancing to the general election by around 30,000 votes.
This was paired with videos of homeless individuals on Skid Row telling reporters they had been paid to vote for Karen Bass, as well as other concerns about the integrity of California's elections, including reports that thousands of Spencer Pratt supporters had their ballots rejected over signature-matching issues.
However, Pratt revealed in a video last week that his defeat has not ended his fight against the city's corrupt political establishment, unveiling "Phase III" of his political plan and declaring war on the city's progressives.