California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s attempt to block Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of 2025 ballots was rejected by a court on Tuesday. The state’s legal office had sought to halt the sheriff’s investigation into alleged voter fraud, arguing that Bianco had not provided sufficient evidence to justify the criminal probe. The court, however, ruled that Bonta should have filed his complaint in the local Riverside County court rather than the appellate court. Bianco, a Republican running for governor, seized approximately 650,000 ballots from the November 2025 special election and initiated a recount. He described the effort as a “fact-finding mission” aimed at ensuring election accuracy. The move has drawn criticism from legal experts and election officials, who argue that the sheriff’s office lacks the authority to investigate ballot integrity. Bonta’s office has raised concerns that the investigation is a “fishing expedition” designed to undermine public trust in elections. The attorney general’s legal team pointed to sworn statements Bianco provided to a Riverside County judge to obtain warrants for the ballot seizure. Bonta’s office claims these statements did not establish probable cause for the criminal investigation. The warrants, however, remain sealed in Riverside County Superior Court, with redacted details in Bonta’s court filings. The warrants were approved by Judge Jay Kiel, a former prosecutor who previously endorsed Bianco’s gubernatorial campaign. The controversy stems from claims by a Riverside County citizens’ group that election officials overstated the number of ballots counted in the November special election. The group alleged discrepancies tied to Democrat-drawn congressional maps.#chad_bianco #rob_bonta #california_attorney_general #riverside_county_sheriff #riverside_county_superior_court
