The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles has initiated several election fraud investigations concerning California’s elections. A federal prosecutor was dispatched to the vote-counting center in Los Angeles County. This took place after President Donald Trump made unfounded claims of widespread fraud during California’s lengthy vote count following Tuesday’s primary. These late tallied, Democratic-leaning mail ballots were reducing the lead for Trump’s preferred candidates for governor and Los Angeles mayor.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced the investigations. His appointment as the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles by Trump signals an intensification of the president’s campaign against California. Trump’s comments at a roundtable discussion in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, were also supportive, as he claimed Democrats were ‘rigging’ the election. He remarked, “It’s getting tighter and tighter…It’s a crooked state.”

Trump often alleges that changes in vote totals, as late ballots are counted, indicate fraud. They are typically the result of counting more ballots. Essayli commented on X, highlighting California’s “serious structural vulnerabilities” without specific details. An assistant U.S. attorney visited the ballot processing center, as confirmed by Mike Sanchez, a spokesman for Los Angeles County’s Registrar-Recorder. Sanchez noted that election officials frequently host observers from diverse interests.

This scrutiny isn’t new for California elections, as Trump’s Justice Department monitored polling sites in five counties during a recent special election. On Friday, Republican Steve Hilton, Trump’s preferred candidate for governor, proposed a reform of California’s election laws. He suggested mail ballots should be limited to those who request them, instead of sending them to all registered voters. Furthermore, Hilton proposed an Election Day deadline instead of the current seven-day grace period.

Hilton acknowledged that the U.S. attorney’s office might have more information than his campaign. However, he insists his team has observed nothing indicating illegal activity. He criticized California’s slow vote count, calling the state “a national and international laughingstock.” To speed up the process, Hilton proposed deploying additional state workers across California’s 58 counties.

Jesse Salinas, president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officers, responded by saying Hilton’s suggestion could be more disruptive than beneficial. Salinas, who also serves as clerk and registrar for Yolo County, explained that anyone handling ballots requires training by the staff already working hard to count mail ballots. His own facility lacks room for more personnel.

Hilton, endorsed by Trump, competes with two Democrats for a position on the November ballot. Reality TV star Spencer Pratt, another Trump-endorsed candidate, contends against City Councilwoman Nithya Raman for the chance to challenge Mayor Karen Bass in the November election. The tendency for Democrats to vote by mail and hold their ballots until later often results in their votes being counted after those from Republican voters who cast ballots earlier. Consequently, Republican candidates may see diminished leads as more mail ballots are tallied in the days following the election.