Supervisor Medina calls the ballot investigation a sham and demands the ballots' return
Riverside County Supervisor, First District
“There is no basis for his claim of voter fraud on the part of the Riverside County Registrar of Voters. … It is past time to put an end to this sham of a so-called investigation into election irregularities. … Sheriff Chad Bianco must return all 650,000 ballots where they belong, to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters, and find another way to campaign for Governor of the State of California other than the stunt we all witnessed Friday.”
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Press release from the office of Riverside County Supervisor Jose Medina responding to the March 20 news conference at which Sheriff Bianco described the ballot investigation.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The release responded to the sheriff's March 20 news conference, which Medina described as a campaign rally held at sheriff's headquarters.
After the quotation
Medina wrote that he had earlier suggested Bianco take a leave of absence while running for governor.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Was Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco's seizure of about 650,000 ballots lawful?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the sheriff's seizure and handling of the ballots. Medina says the fraud claim has no basis, calls the investigation a sham and demands that the ballots be returned, which expressly rejects the seizure.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Chad Bianco
Was Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco's seizure of about 650,000 ballots lawful?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full caseCampaign Legal Center
“Sheriff Bianco’s illegal seizure of ballots is a dangerous escalation and blatantly unlawful intrusion by law enforcement … In Riverside County and a growing number of localities across the country, actions like this risk disrupting critical chain of custody procedures, endangering sensitive voter data, sidestepping recount and contest procedures, and amplifying baseless claims, ultimately undermining the freedom to vote.”Read statement
“Governor Gavin Newsom today released the following statement in response to the California Supreme Court ruling Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco illegally seized hundreds of thousands of ballots from last year’s special election … Today’s ruling affirms that in California we will defend democracy — using every branch of government. And the new laws I signed just last week add new protections so attacks like this cannot happen again. People deserve to know their ballot is counted and secure, and in California we will do everything we can to protect that constitutional right — this year, and beyond.”Read statement
“Election fraud can and should be investigated. But misuse of criminal investigative tools — without any evidence that a crime was committed — needlessly undermines trust in our elections system and in law enforcement. After the Sheriff took the extraordinary step of obtaining warrants to seize control over voted ballots, I made a modest request to him: pause your investigation, preserve all evidence, and provide the information needed for my office to review the allegations. Instead, Sheriff Bianco pressed forward with the seizure of hundreds of thousands of ballots. The Court has now made clear that this kind of defiance cannot stand, that the Attorney General has the authority to intervene when sheriffs take improper action, and that voted ballots belong in the custody of elections officials.”Read statement