CA Supreme Court orders Riverside County Sheriff Bianco to pause probe, preserve seized ballots

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The California Supreme Court connected Wednesday ordered a region sheriff who seized much than fractional a cardinal 2025 predetermination ballots to intermission his probe into predetermination fraud allegations portion the judges reappraisal the ineligible situation against it.

The bid came aft California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, past period asked the tribunal to measurement in. A voting rights radical is besides challenging the ballot seizure.

The quality started successful February and escalated past period erstwhile Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seized 1,000 boxes of predetermination materials to analyse a ailment from a section citizens radical astir the ballot number from a November 2025 peculiar predetermination connected redistricting. Local predetermination officials told the region Board of Supervisors past period that the ailment was unfounded. After Bonta ordered Bianco to halt his probe, the sheriff seized different 426 boxes of ballots past week.

Bonta said the Wednesday bid is indispensable to halt the sheriff's probe.

"What the Sheriff says and what helium does are often 2 antithetic things," Bonta said successful a statement. "Today's determination by the California Supreme Court reins successful the destabilizing actions of a rogue Sheriff, prohibiting him from continuing this probe portion our litigation continues."

Bianco's bureau did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Bianco is besides 1 of 2 salient Republican gubernatorial candidates successful the state. He antecedently defended his investigation, noting it was approved by a region judge. The sheriff past week said helium paused the probe due to the fact that of mounting ineligible challenges.