California sheriff says election fraud probe delayed by suits and court filings

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said Sunday that his predetermination fraud probe into the Proposition 50 Special Election past autumn has travel to a halt owed to ineligible challenges from the California lawyer general. 

Earlier successful March, Bianco, who is moving for governor, seized much than 611,000 ballots from the peculiar predetermination successful which voters approved a redistricting measurement that shifted 5 of California's Republican-held seats successful the U.S. House of Representatives to beryllium much favorable to Democrats successful the upcoming midterm elections. He says a citizens radical pointed retired a 45,000-ballot discrepancy betwixt the fig of votes that were counted and the fig of votes that were cast. 

"This probe is simple: Physically number the ballots and comparison that effect with the full votes reported," Bianco said during a property league aft the ballots were seized. 

In the weeks aft Bianco's probe began, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has made respective efforts to halt him, saying it was amerciable for him to instrumentality ballots from the Riverside County Registrar and statesman a recount and that Bianco hasn't identified immoderate crimes.

"The facts person not changed. The Riverside County Sheriff continues to straight defy the Attorney General's instructions, successful usurpation of the California Constitution and authorities law," Bonta's bureau wrote successful a statement. "We are evaluating adjacent steps to guarantee a swift and due solution to this matter."

The UCLA Voting Rights Project besides filed a petition with the California Supreme Court past week, arguing that the ballot seizure violated authorities instrumentality connected the handling of predetermination materials. 

Despite a California court denying Bonta's appeal to halt the probe past week, it appears that his efforts person had an effect, aft Bianco announced the indefinite hold connected Sunday. 

"We are connected clasp due to the fact that of the politically motivated lawsuits and tribunal filings," Bianco said successful a connection shared with CBS News L.A.

Luis Alvarado, a Republican governmental analyst, says Bianco has governmental motivations of his own.

"What Sheriff Bianco is doing is perfectly unprecedented," Alvarado said. "No different sheriff has ever done thing similar this successful California. And, if immoderate different sheriff were to embark successful thing similar this, helium would not bash it alone. He would person the attorneys, metropolis attorneys, authorities attorneys beryllium a portion of this full process. The region registrar of voters would beryllium the beforehand enactment lasting adjacent to him. But, he's moving for governor, and you person to recognize that erstwhile you're moving for governor, you person to combat to get connected TV and get your sanction elected."

Bianco was unavailable for an interrogation erstwhile asked by CBS LA successful the days pursuing the ballot seizure. During an quality connected Lindell TV, helium questioned Bonta's reasoning for trying to halt his investigation. 

"You would person thought the satellite was ending, and each azygous Democrat person successful California is present doing everything they tin to forestall this number from happening and it truly makes you question: why?" Bianco said during the tv appearance. 

Since the ballot seizure, section predetermination officials successful Riverside County person debunked the allegations of irregularities by saying that the citizens group's numbers were based connected earthy information that could person included unsigned ballots. Political experts person besides pointed retired that Proposition 50 passed with a wide margin, with 64% of of voters approving it, truthful the probe wouldn't person immoderate interaction connected the results. 

Alvarado said the probe could interaction the gubernatorial race, however, contempt Bianco stating that the probe has "absolutely nothing" to bash with his campaign.

"The atrocious happening is, erstwhile you effort to present a uncertainty astir the electoral process, radical sometimes are acrophobic to travel retired and vote," Alvarado said. "That is really a combat against democracy."

CBS News LA received a remark from Bonta's bureau regarding Bianco's connection connected Sunday. It said that their "focus is connected what the Sheriff does, not what helium says."

They said that they would proceed to proceed successful some the California Supreme Court and Riverside Superior Court to "secure compliance with our directives and the instrumentality of these ballots to Riverside ROV."

A proceeding is acceptable for Monday greeting arsenic Bonta's petition for the Riverside County Superior Court to halt the probe is reviewed.