A Republican sheriff who is running for governor of California this week escalated his investigation into unsubstantiated claims of irregularities in a 2025 statewide election, according to new court documents. His actions, which included seizing a second tranche of election materials, drew sharp rebukes from the state’s top law enforcement and election officials.
Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County, seized 426 boxes of ballot materials on Tuesday, adding to the even larger tranche of 650,000 cast ballots he took last month, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, a Democrat. Mr. Bonta petitioned the court to halt Mr. Bianco’s investigation, which he said has not identified any crimes.
Mr. Bianco opened the investigation after an outside group of activists, called the Riverside Election Integrity Team, claimed to have found that more ballots were counted than the number of votes cast. Local election officials later debunked those findings, according to court documents — explaining in a public meeting that, among other errors, the group had relied on raw data, which is prone to human error, rather than what the officials described as “actual processed votes.”
The results in question pertain to the vote last year for Proposition 50, which asked California voters whether they wanted to allow Democrats to redraw the state’s congressional districts in response to the nationwide redistricting war Republicans set off in Texas earlier that year. The measure passed overwhelmingly, meaning Mr. Bianco’s efforts have little chance of affecting the outcome.
What he could do is create further doubt about the security of California elections, Mr. Bonta argued in his suit. Mr. Bianco’s critics fear that he and others in positions of power who are willing to entertain unfounded claims of election fraud could use such false claims to undermine public faith in elections.
“The Sheriff’s misguided investigation threatens to sow distrust and jeopardize public confidence in the upcoming primary and general elections, not just in Riverside County but around the State,” Mr. Bonta’s office wrote in the lawsuit.
Mr. Bianco’s investigation, the suit said, “also sets a dangerous precedent that could invite future attempts to improperly contest election results through a misuse of law enforcement authority and the criminal process.”
The stakes in Riverside could be high. The fourth most populous county in California, it is home to about 2.5 million residents. Multiple congressional districts run through it.
Mr. Bianco ignored Mr. Bonta’s directive after the first seizure to pause the investigation and provide copies of filings in the case. Instead, the sheriff criticized Mr. Bonta and said a court order had allowed the investigation to include a recount of the ballots, which would be overseen by a special master.
Both the warrant and affidavits supporting Mr. Bianco’s seizure and investigation remain under court seal. But in its filing on Thursday, the attorney general’s office said that it had obtained the court order and that it “did not order a recount or authorize a special master.” It did, however, allow the sheriff to seize the materials.
Mr. Bonta’s office has another concern about the investigation: The seized materials, it said in a letter sent to a state court this week, are likely to contain confidential information, particularly voter signatures, and are strictly protected from disclosure by California law.
Mr. Bianco is locked in a sprawling all-party primary for governor in California, a heavily Democratic state. The top two candidates, regardless of party, will advance to the general election, and with many Democrats in the field, a vote split could open the door for Republicans.
Mr. Bianco has polled near the top of the field. But he has faced criticism from some on the far right, including Laura Loomer, the activist with close ties to President Trump. The investigation into voter fraud, a central issue for Mr. Trump, has been derided by critics of Mr. Bianco as an attempt to build support with Mr. Trump and the right-wing base as he competes with another Republican candidate, Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host.
The sheriff has seemed to relish the conflict with the Democratic attorney general. He held a news conference on Friday attacking Mr. Bonta for what he said was interference in his investigation.
The sheriff has also declined repeatedly when asked to comment on the investigation, instead attacking the attorney general again. On Thursday, Mr. Bianco’s office once again did not respond to requests for comment.
Jeff Van Wagenen, the executive officer of Riverside County, referred questions about the investigation to the sheriff’s office.
“Our focus,” Mr. Van Wagenen said in a statement, “remains where it belongs: supporting public confidence in the election process and ensuring the Registrar of Voters is fully prepared to administer the upcoming June 2 primary election.”
Nick Corasaniti is a Times reporter covering national politics, with a focus on voting and elections.
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