Jose Medina
Role at the time: Riverside County Supervisor, First District
Condemned
Statement summary
Riverside County Supervisor Jose Medina said there was no basis for a voter fraud claim against the registrar, called the ballot investigation a "sham of a so-called investigation", and said Sheriff Bianco must return all 650,000 ballots to the Registrar of Voters.
“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.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)Supervisor raises concerns over ballot seizure and misuse of county resources · Jose MedinaPress release dated March 23, 2026
Why we used 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.