Feds pursuing 'multiple' election fraud investigations, top prosecutor says

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First Assistant U.S.Atty.

Bill Essayli said Friday his office “has multiple election fraud investigations underway,” in coordination with the FBI in Los Angeles.Essayli’s remarks, posted to X, seemed to be in response to President Trump alleging in his own social media post late Wednesday that Democrats in California were “cheating” in the state’s primary election, and that there was an investigation underway in Essayli’s office.Democratic officials firmly rejected Trump’s claims of cheating, which they had warned he would make in advance of the election given his long record of objecting to and claiming fraud in elections he and his party lose.Trump provided no evidence for his claims, other than to complain about California taking a long time to count ballots and criticizing its mail ballot system, suggesting it was a source of fraud.California officials have acknowledged the process takes longer than they would like, but said that is a result of a careful, accurate count of millions of ballots, many of which were mailed on election day.“Taking the time to do this work correctly protects voters’ rights and ensures the integrity of our elections,” California Secretary of State Shirley Weber said Thursday.

“California has built a strong system that expands access, empowers voters, and ensures more Californians can fully participate in our democracy.”Essayli — a Trump loyalist the administration has kept in charge of one of the country’s largest federal prosecutor’s offices through a legal loophole, and despite his failing to be confirmed by the Senate — also provided few details in his Friday post, saying he would not comment “on any specific investigation.”He said that protecting California’s elections is “a top priority” for his office, and that “California’s election system has serious structural vulnerabilities.”The most impor...