US EditionRiverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco Accuses Attorney General of Interfering in Election Probe
The investigation targets a 45,896-vote discrepancy claimed by a local group, while officials cite a 0.016% variance within accepted error margins, prompting legal and procedural disputes.
- On Friday, March 20, 2026, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco accused California Attorney General Rob Bonta of trying to stop his probe after sheriff's investigators served a judge-approved warrant on Feb. 9, seizing about 1,000 boxes of Proposition 50 special election materials.
- Riverside Election Integrity Team members claimed their review found more than 45,000 votes than ballots logged, but Riverside County Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco said the variance was 103.
- In letters sent Feb. 26 and March 4, Bonta asked for affidavits, a pause through March 6, and said 'I was surprised and disappointed by Sheriff Bianco's statements in his press conference this morning,' Bonta said.
- A judge appointed a special master to supervise the count, and Bianco said it will proceed under court supervision while his office coordinates with the court; Bonta's office may take further action.
- The dispute amplifies political stakes given Bianco's gubernatorial bid and prior AG scrutiny, affecting more than 656,000 county voters and involving a February 2023 review of the Sheriff's Department.
14 Articles
14 Articles
The spokesman-Review
Los Angeles TimesRiverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seizes more than half a million ballots
LOS ANGELES — Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is a leading Republican candidate for governor, has seized more than 650,000 ballots from last November's election and is investigating whether they were fraudulently counted. "This investigation is simple: Physically count the ballots and compare that result with the total votes recorded," Bianco said at a news conference Friday. The ...
Riverside County sheriff investigates 2025 special election, citing discrepancy in number of votes
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has launched an investigation into a potential discrepancy in the number of ballots cast in last year's special election.
Riverside County Sheriff Bianco, Calif. AG Bonta clash over 2025 election probe
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco accused California Attorney General Rob Bonta during a Friday press conference of trying to stop or delay his office’s investigation into the November 2025 special election. Bianco, a Republican candidate for governor, said the investigation has “absolutely nothing to do” with his campaign. Bianco said the sheriff’s office began investigating possible election fraud in October 2022, a…
Sheriff Chad Bianco Accuses AG Rob Bonta of Intimidation in Prop 50 Ballot Discrepancy Investigation
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a leading 2026 Republican gubernatorial candidate, held a press conference Friday morning to expose what he described as repeated attempts by Attorney General Rob Bonta to intimidate and derail his office’s investigation into a massive 45,896-ballot discrepancy in the November 2025 Proposition 50 special election. Bianco detailed a stunning mismatch uncovered through an audit of handwritten logs maintained …
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