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A Trump-aligned prosecutor, Bill Essayli, has sparked controversy after suggesting that California’s recent primary elections may have involved fraud and promising potential charges within two months. His claims were widely viewed as being driven by conspiracy theories linked to dissatisfaction over a Los Angeles mayoral race outcome, in which a MAGA-backed figure, Spencer Pratt, failed to advance to the top two positions. According to reporting and analysis cited in the article, legal and political observers have dismissed these allegations as unfounded. Analyst Shirin Ali, writing for Slate, characterized the threats of investigation as lacking substance and described them as more performative than legally grounded. The explanation for the election outcome, she noted, aligns with standard voting patterns in California and across the United States. Republicans tend to vote in person on Election Day, meaning their ballots are counted earlier, while Democrats are more likely to vote by mail or early voting methods, which are often counted later in the tallying process. This can create the appearance of shifting results over time, even when no irregularities are present. California Governor Gavin Newsom also criticized the rhetoric surrounding the investigation, arguing that public declarations of impending probes often signal political theater rather than legitimate legal action. He suggested that such announcements should be treated with skepticism. The article further notes broader political tensions between California and former President Donald Trump, highlighting ongoing partisan disputes and the state's role as a frequent target of criticism from Republican figures. Essayli’s professional history is also referenced, including prior setbacks in securing indictments and a federal ruling that found issues with his appointment to a previous role. Overall, the piece frames the controversy as part of a larger pattern of politically charged accusations rather than evidence-based legal proceedings.

via - Democracy Docket — The FBI questioned a senior election official in Wisconsin this week about the 2020 presidential election, indicating that the Justice Department may be expanding its efforts to probe and relitigate Trump's loss. The post Report: Trump FBI probing Wisconsin’s 2020 election appeared first on Democracy Docket .

via US news | The Guardian — US president makes baseless claims about fraud in blue states and says JD Vance will lead clampdown as ‘fraud czar’ Donald Trump announced a fresh crackdown on “fraud” in Democratic states and tapped JD Vance to lead the charge. Officials swiftly announced a string of arrests in California. In a Truth Social post on Friday, the US president announced that his vice-president is now “in charge of ‘fraud’ in the United States”, claiming the problem is “massive and pervasive” and that Vance’s new ro