California Election Scandal Uncovered by ACLJ

California officials just made stunning admissions about the state’s handling of noncitizen voting. The California DOJ has now responded to the ACLJ’s investigation, raising even more questions about election integrity in the state.

Recently we told you how the ACLJ had filed two California Public Records Act (CPRA) requests, demanding answers about its election and voter registration process. One went to the Secretary of State’s office. The other went to the California Department of Justice.

The question we wanted answered was simple: What is California doing when it comes to noncitizens who are illegally registered to vote or who may even attempt to vote illegally?

As wepreviously reported, the Secretary of State’s office gave us one answer that was troubling. They said they don't track the reason someone is removed from the voter rolls when that reason is non-citizenship. In other words, California may remove someone from the voter rolls because of noncitizen, but the state doesn't actually maintain a record if the reason was noncitizenship, and that “complaints are forwarded to Elections Division staff for further review.”

Now,we’ve received a response from the California Department of Justice and here is where things get even more interesting.

Wes specifically asked for records on the state’s policies for handling investigative referrals of illegal voting.. In other words, if someone raises a concern about potentially illegal voting, what is their process for investigating it?

The answer to our second request was blunt. The California DOJ responded to our FOIA, stating it has no records containing or addressing “‘policies’ that are specific to handling ‘investigative referrals for illegal voting.’”  They don’t even have a policy. Now, California is very quick to point out that state law prohibits non-citizens from registering to vote in elections where they are not eligible. Voters are required to attest under penalty of perjury that they meet the eligibility requirements, including citizenship.

But, where are the teeth behind the law? What happens when someone potentially breaks that law? The Department of Justice says it has no policies specifically addressing investigative referrals for illegal voting. So, basically, you've got the law on the books, but no policy about what to do when somebody potentially violates it. And this isn't just about California. We're seeing similar questions in other states and localities. The ACLJ is currently seeking records in Maryland, and we recently talked about New Jersey, where officials blamed a software “glitch” for allowing people to register to vote through the motor-voter program.

The California DOJ says it has additional records that may be responsive to the ACLJ's requests, but it needs more time to review those records for potential redactions and exemptions. So, there is more information coming, and those records will need to be examined carefully. And we will definitely keep you updated as well.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more discussion with my brother, ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow on this latest round of information out of California regarding potential voter fraud. We also spoke with Special Presidential Envoy – and Californian – Ric Grenell, and got his take on the current situation in his home state, and what it means for the election process going forward.

Watch the full broadcast below: