Police close Papatoetoe election fraud investigation due to insufficient evidence
stream:bsky-jetstream 39d ago
26 million) fraud scheme.
On 2026-09-24, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco unlawfully seized more than 650,000 ballots during an investigation. The court ordered their immediate return to election officials; Bianco, a Republican who lost a 2026 gubernatorial race, violated state election law.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier announced 20 arrests Sept.
The California Supreme Court ruled unanimously on September 24, 2026 that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco unlawfully seized approximately 650,000 ballots from a November 2025 special election and must return them. The court affirmed the state's authority over local law enforcement on election matters.
Three elected officials from St. Johns County have pleaded not guilty to charges related to an alleged election fraud scheme involving the distribution of fake voter guides during the 2024 election cycle. The case involves coordination among multiple county officials in what authorities describe as a coordinated scheme to distribute misleading voting materials.
On 2026-08-24, the California Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who seized 650,000 election ballots. The court is determining whether the seized ballots must be returned and addressing concerns about the election conspiracy undertone.
The Trump administration ordered election officials in more than two dozen states on September 10, 2026, to preserve records from the 2024 election as it seeks access to voter data. The Justice Department directed the records be held pending further instructions.
A 55-year-old Colombian national living in Jacksonville was sentenced to three years in federal prison on September 17, 2026 for stealing a U.S. citizen's identity to obtain government documents and commit voter fraud. The case involved both document fraud and election tampering.
A whole-of-government Trump administration effort to prosecute noncitizens illegally on state voter rolls has resulted in approximately 1,600 voter fraud cases and 160 arrests as of September 22-23, 2026. Election experts say the low arrest rate relative to the search effort demonstrates that noncitizen voting is rare.
Wyoming's attorney general launched an investigation on 28 August 2026 into how U.S. Department of Justice officials questioned poll workers during the state's 18 August primary election, at the request of the governor.
Maine Democrats on September 23, 2026, challenged Republican Senator Susan Collins regarding an FBI investigation into alleged illegal campaign contributions. Collins denied the report as "completely false".
Eight unrelated items spanning April 2024 to November 2026: WHO partnership meetings with Netherlands and Spain, a research paper on LLM agent security, a weather alert, congressional bill tracking, FCC rulemaking, and an AI labor-market report. No coherent single story.
Ed Martin, a Trump ally who led the DOJ's Weaponization Working Group and served as pardon attorney, left the Justice Department on or after August 21, 2026, to focus on election-related legal battles. His tenure was marked by clashes with colleagues and controversial tactics.
ProPublica reported on September 23, 2026, that the Trump administration ended an FBI investigation into whether Republican Senator Susan Collins knew about alleged bribery involving her Super PAC. Democrats in Maine accused Collins of corruption, while Collins denied the allegations as "categorically false."
President Donald Trump gave three White House aides, including executive assistant Natalie Harp, $45,000 cash gifts—roughly one-third of their $150,000 annual salaries. Federal law generally prohibits federal employees from receiving compensation beyond their government salaries, and legal experts say the gifts may violate ethics rules.
Andrew Bailey, co-deputy director of the FBI and member of a three-person leadership team at the bureau, announced his departure on September 28 after barely a year in the position. He is returning to Missouri to spend time with his family.
Cluster mixes an Iran military statement with unrelated WHO announcements about Ebola response in DRC, newborn screening, and pandemic agreement negotiations. These are clearly separate stories with no connection.
On September 15, 2026, Brazil's Supreme Court faced an unprecedented internal crisis, though specific details of the nature and scope of the crisis were not fully outlined in available reports.
#BREAKING | 🇦🇲 — Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and son detained #BREAKING | 🇦🇲 — Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and son detained Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee has detained former President Robert Kocharyan and his eldest son, Sedrak Kocharyan, o...
Democrat James Talarico is challenging Republican Ken Paxton in a closely watched US Senate race in Texas, with Paxton's history of multiple scandals being a central campaign issue. The race is viewed as competitive for the state.
Brazil's Supreme Court deepened its institutional crisis on September 4, 2026, as two prominent justices requested major sanctions against each other. The court also faced pressure from an ongoing election and investigation into a failed bank.
On September 14, 2026, a federal whistleblower alleged that Department of Homeland Security employees may have violated state laws while investigating suspected noncitizen voters ahead of the November election. The whistleblower reported that DHS agents were directed to misrepresent themselves and pose as voters to access state voter rolls.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended his record in an Associated Press interview on August 28, 2026, amid mounting political pressure. Blanche stated he will lead the Department of Justice with integrity.