Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is also a prominent Republican candidate for governor, announced the suspension of his investigation into alleged election fraud. This decision follows the seizure of more than half a million ballots from the 2025 election cycle.

Legal Challenges Force Suspension of Ballot Seizure Investigation

Sheriff Bianco stated on Saturday that his office paused the inquiry due to what he termed "politically motivated lawsuits and court filings." This shift in position comes after significant legal action was initiated last week.

Actions by State Officials and Advocacy Groups

The suspension was prompted by lawsuits filed by Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta and the UCLA Voting Rights Project. Both parties argued that the Sheriff lacks the legal authority to take control of election materials.

Previously, Bianco maintained that his investigation and the initial seizure of over 650,000 cast ballots were lawful and had secured approval from a Riverside County judge. Last week, he reaffirmed this stance by seizing additional ballots from a county election office, despite receiving direct orders from Bonta's office to cease operations.

Ongoing Legal Battle

Attorney General Bonta's office confirmed on Monday that it will proceed with its filings before the California Supreme Court and the superior court. A spokesperson for the AG stated, "Our focus is on what the Sheriff does, not what he says."

The UCLA Voting Rights Project also took action, filing a petition on Monday with the state Supreme Court on behalf of several Riverside County voters. The group is seeking an order compelling Bianco to return the seized ballots while the case is pending.

Sonni Waknin, an attorney for the group, emphasized the legal standard: "Our election law clearly states that ballots already voted must remain in the custody of election officials, and nothing the Sheriff has presented alters that basic rule."

Background of the Election Material Seizure

The dispute originated in February and escalated this month when Bianco initially seized 1,000 boxes of election materials. This action was reportedly based on a complaint filed by a local citizen group concerning the vote count for a November 2025 special election regarding district redistricting.

Local election officials had previously informed the County Board of Supervisors that the complaint lacked merit. Nevertheless, after Bonta ordered the investigation halted, Bianco proceeded to seize another 426 boxes of ballots last week.

Broader Context of Election Scrutiny

This investigation into ballots occurs amid ongoing national scrutiny of election integrity, notably following President Donald Trump's repeated questioning of the 2020 election results, which lacked conclusive evidence of widespread fraud. His administration recently seized ballots and documents from an election office in Georgia.

Some Republican figures in various states have echoed Trump's rhetoric regarding voting processes within their respective jurisdictions.