Los Angeles' top federal prosecutor, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, has publicly challenged California Governor Gavin Newsom to provide proof that the state is not experiencing voter fraud. The exchange follows Newsom's dismissal of President Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud as "false and misleading."
Essayli directly addressed the governor on social media, writing, "Prove it. Open your voter rolls and let us conduct the audit…What is there to hide?" He stated that he is collaborating with Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon to undertake a thorough audit of California's voter rolls.
A source indicated to The California Post that a Department of Homeland Security report is expected to reveal that at least 278,000 noncitizens are registered to vote in U.S. federal elections. This number represents the highest publicly reported figure in U.S. history. It remains unclear how many of these individuals may have voted illegally or what actions the administration plans to take.
These developments occur in the context of President Trump's assertion that China compromised election data belonging to 220 million Americans, which he described as a significant voter security breach. Trump stated that the acquired data included names, addresses, phone numbers, and political party affiliations, information he claims could be used for illicit voter registration and other "nefarious activities."
Governor Newsom, in response to Trump's remarks, characterized the president as an "old man" who "rambled" about an election he lost. Newsom's office released a statement asserting that democracy is under threat not only from abroad but also from within the United States, urging citizens not to succumb to cynicism or silence and to continue voting.
Investigating voter fraud has been a priority for the Trump administration in California. Last month, federal agents reportedly investigated allegations of homeless individuals being paid to vote in the June 2 primary in downtown Los Angeles, an action that FBI Director Kash Patel described as a significant step in securing elections.