FBI investigates voter fraud allegations on Los Angeles' Skid Row

Federal agents from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations deployed about 20 plain‑clothes officers to Los Angeles’ Skid Row on June 18, 2026 to interview residents after video reports alleged homeless individuals were paid $2‑$4 to sign multiple voter‑registration forms, forge signatures and cast mail‑in ballots favoring candidates in the June 2 mayoral primary. Witnesses described cash payments for votes for incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Nithya Raman, while one resident said he was not urged to support challenger Spencer Pratt.

The Department of Justice confirmed a criminal investigation but gave few details. The probe builds on a recent indictment of Marina del Rey resident Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong for paying unhoused people to register to vote, and on statements from First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli that multiple election‑fraud cases are under review. Officials point to systemic vulnerabilities in California’s universal vote‑by‑mail system and lax address‑verification rules, prompting calls for tighter verification standards and the recent passage of state Senate Bill 73, which restricts external access to voter‑registration data. No arrests have been reported as the investigation continues.