California Supreme Court orders GOP sheriff to pause election probe and preserve seized ballots

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 1:43 PM EDT, April 8, 2026


SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a county sheriff who seized more than half a million 2025 election ballots to pause his probe into election fraud allegations while the judges review the legal challenge against it.

The order came after California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, last month asked the court to step in, arguing the sheriff has no authority over election materials. A voting rights group is also challenging the ballot seizure.

The dispute started earlier this year and escalated last month when Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seized 1,000 boxes of election materials to investigate a complaint from a local citizens group about the ballot count from a November 2025 special election on redistricting. Local election officials told the county Board of Supervisors that the complaint was unfounded. After Bonta ordered Bianco to halt his probe, the sheriff seized another 426 boxes of ballots.

Bianco and his office “are hereby ordered to pause the investigation into the November 2025 special election and preserve all seized items,” the order reads.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/california-sheriff-seized-ballots-election-4f87c3a4f4ea4bd6213bac13db80c043

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Link to ORDER (PDF) - https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/california-supreme-court-order-bianco.pdf

REFERENCES

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143636857
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143640031
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143641240

[kimbutgar]

1. Bianco is also running for Governor in the state

I hope this knocks him out of the top 2!

[BumRushDaShow]

2. He might be toast now too

since 45 endorsed the other guy and the Schwarzenegger wing of the GOP might prefer a less bombastic candidate (although Hilton is a "foreigner" and that may kill his chances ).

[usonian]

3. How about we pause and preserve Sheriff TrumpChump?

A very large mayonnaise jar will do.

Riverside County has real problems not related to hallucinations about voting.

Maybe he can get a more satisfying job at Fox News, where he can act out his fantasies, and good old Riverside County can have itself a protector instead of a political puppet.

[BootinUp]

4. He accomplished what he wanted to. Nt

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Except that it wasn't enough for 45

who endorsed the GOP "naturalized citizen foreigner" for governor instead of him.

So a lot of "sound and fury signifying nothing".

[Cha]

5. TY, Rob Bonta, and CA SC! A Traitor supporter

Breaking the Law.. what a surprise.