Press ReleaseNeutral2026-06-12

Sen. Rick Scott Sends Letter to Acting AG Blanche, Assistant AG Dhillon Demanding Investigation into California Election Fraud

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This press release from Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) was published on 2026-06-12 and titled "Sen. Rick Scott Sends Letter to Acting AG Blanche, Assistant AG Dhillon Demanding Investigation into California Election".

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Sen. Rick Scott Sends Letter to Acting AG Blanche, Assistant AG Dhillon Demanding Investigation into California Election Fraud

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon urging the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate reports of voters being paid to register, voters registered to incorrect addresses, and irregularities in the recent mayoral primary in Los Angeles. Senator Rick Scott said, "Americans expect and deserve elections that are free, fair, transparent, and efficient. California clearly does not want to meet those standards. Between troubling reports of fraudulent ballots being submitted, people paying homeless people to cast ballots, and delays in ballot counting, everyone paying attention is troubled by the process. The American people deserve answers." Read Senator Scott's full letter HERE or below. Dear Acting Attorney General Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Dhillon: I write to thank the Department of Justice for its commitment to protecting the integrity of America's elections and to encourage a thorough investigation of any related unlawful conduct. Your recent prosecution of Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, a California petition circulator who admitted to paying homeless residents living on Los Angeles' Skid Row to register to vote, sends a clear message that violations of federal election law will not be tolerated. The facts outlined by the Department of Justice are deeply disturbing. According to court filings, Armstrong paid individuals to complete voter registration forms and sign petitions. In some instances, voter registration forms allegedly contained addresses that did not belong to the registrants. As Assistant Attorney General Dhillon correctly observed, "[f]alse registrations undermine Americans' faith in elections - even more so when payoffs are involved." The American people deserve to know the full scope of what occurred, who was involved, and whether similar conduct has taken place elsewhere. Election integrity is too important to permit anything less than a thorough accounting of the facts. Unfortunately, many Americans do not view this case as an isolated incident, but as part of a broader pattern of vulnerabilities that have undermined public confidence in our elections. These allegations underscore the need for continued vigilance and aggressive enforcement of federal election law. In that regard, I am also concerned by the Los Angeles mayoral race, where a closely contested primary on June 2, 2026, and an upcoming general election on November 3, 2026, have focused renewed attention on ballot processing, vote-by-mail procedures, and overall election administration in the city. I appreciate the Department's efforts to ensure that there is no election fraud or improper election-related conduct in Los Angeles or elsewhere. As the Senior Senator from Florida and former two-term governor, I have seen firsthand how strong election safeguards can increase public trust and confidence. Florida has become a national model for election administration by prioritizing transparency, accurate voter rolls, voter identification requirements, and timely election reporting. The result is a system in which voters can have confidence that elections are conducted fairly and that every lawful vote is counted. Cases like the one recently prosecuted by the Department demonstrate why stronger, holistic safeguards are necessary to protect the integrity of our electoral system and restore public trust in it. On a separate but related note, that is why I am continuing to fight in the Senate for passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act. Requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections is a commonsense reform supported by millions of Americans who believe that only United States citizens should participate in our elections. Thank you for your commitment to ensuring that our elections are worthy of the American people's trust. I look forward to working with you to strengthen election integrity and hold accountable those who seek to undermine it. # # #

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Sen. Rick Scott Sends Letter to Acting AG Blanche, Assistant AG Dhillon Demanding Investigation into California Election Fraud WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon urging the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate reports of voters being paid to register, voters registered to incorrect addresses, and irregularities in the recent mayoral primary in Los Angeles. Senator Rick Scott said, "Americans expect and deserve elections that are free, fair, transparent, and efficient. California clearly does not want to meet those standards. Between troubling reports of fraudulent ballots being submitted, people paying homeless people to cast ballots, and delays in ballot counting, everyone paying attention is troubled by the process. The American people deserve answers." Read Senator Scott's full letter HERE or below. Dear Acting Attorney General Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Dhillon: I write to thank the Department of Justice for its commitment to protecting the integrity of America's elections and to encourage a thorough investigation of any related unlawful conduct. Your recent prosecution of Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, a California petition circulator who admitted to paying homeless residents living on Los Angeles' Skid Row to register to vote, sends a clear message that violations of federal election law will not be tolerated. The facts outlined by the Department of Justice are deeply disturbing. According to court filings, Armstrong paid individuals to complete voter registration forms and sign petitions. In some instances, voter registration forms allegedly contained addresses that did not belong to the registrants. As Assistant Attorney General Dhillon correctly observed, "[f]alse registrations undermine Americans' faith in elections - even more so when payoffs are involved." The American people deserve to know the full scope of what occurred, who was involved, and whether similar conduct has taken place elsewhere. Election integrity is too important to permit anything less than a thorough accounting of the facts. Unfortunately, many Americans do not view this case as an isolated incident, but as part of a broader pattern of vulnerabilities that have undermined public confidence in our elections. These allegations underscore the need for continued vigilance and aggressive enforcement of federal election law. In that regard, I am also concerned by the Los Angeles mayoral race, where a closely contested primary on June 2, 2026, and an upcoming general election on November 3, 2026, have focused renewed attention on ballot processing, vote-by-mail procedures, and overall election administration in the city. I appreciate the Department's efforts to ensure that there is no election fraud or improper election-related conduct in Los Angeles or elsewhere. As the Senior Senator from Florida and former two-term governor, I have seen firsthand how strong election safeguards can increase public trust and confidence. Florida has become a national model for election administration by prioritizing transparency, accurate voter rolls, voter identification requirements, and timely election reporting. The result is a system in which voters can have confidence that elections are conducted fairly and that every lawful vote is counted. Cases like the one recently prosecuted by the Department demonstrate why stronger, holistic safeguards are necessary to protect the integrity of our electoral system and restore public trust in it. On a separate but related note, that is why I am continuing to fight in the Senate for passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act. Requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections is a commonsense reform supported by millions of Americans who believe that only United States citizens should participate in our elections. Thank you for your commitment to ensuring that our elections are worthy of the American people's trust. I look forward to working with you to strengthen election integrity and hold accountable those who seek to undermine it. # # #