Federal Vote Fraud Crackdown Charges 28 Californians, Including Petaluma Resident

Key points

• DOJ charged 28 individuals across California with federal crimes related to alleged illegal voting or false citizenship claims.
• Verónica Bullene, a Petaluma resident and green card holder, faces four counts including attempted procurement of naturalization contrary to law, carrying a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
• The DOJ provided California with a list of 20,000 suspected non-citizen registrants, demanding the state segregate their ballots; California refused, leading to a federal lawsuit.
• Los Angeles election officials found that 38.9% of a sample from the DOJ’s list were born in the U.S., and 71% had never voted.
• Defendants are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on November 9, 15 days before the general election.

Background

This enforcement action follows a series of federal moves to influence the 2026 midterm elections, including earlier charges against 16 individuals in multiple states and threats to prosecute local election workers. The administration has framed these actions as combating widespread non-citizen voting, a claim disputed by state officials and legal scholars who point to faulty data and the lack of evidence for mass fraud.

How outlets are covering it

The DOJ, represented by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, asserts that registering to vote is a deliberate act and that California’s refusal to verify citizenship is 'willful blindness.' Conversely, California officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and AG Rob Bonta, treat the claims with skepticism. Los Angeles election officials highlighted that a significant portion of the accused were born in the U.S. or had never voted. Legal experts like Rick Hasen of UCLA argue that accidental registration errors do not constitute a crime without proof of willful violation. Rep. Jared Huffman warned that the administration’s tactics aim to suppress and confuse voters.

Why it matters

The case highlights the escalating tension between federal and state authorities over election integrity and immigration enforcement. The timing, just weeks before the general election, raises concerns about voter suppression and the potential for legal challenges to the administration’s data-driven approach to identifying non-citizen voters. The accuracy of the DOJ’s lists is central to the legitimacy of these charges and the broader political narrative surrounding the 2026 midterms.

What to watch

The 28 defendants are ordered to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on November 9. The DOJ has requested that the case of Verónica Bullene be sealed. The federal lawsuit against California over the 20,000-name list remains active, with state officials continuing to reject the demand to segregate ballots based on the provided data.