Florida Sen. Rick Scott urges DOJ probe of California voter fraud

Florida Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon praising federal prosecutors for pursuing charges against the woman while demanding a more comprehensive probe into potential election misconduct, according to New York Post.

The senator delivered a sharp rebuke of California’s election standards in his Friday correspondence. Americans expect and deserve elections that are free, fair, transparent, and efficient, Scott stated when speaking with New York Post, adding that California clearly does not want to meet those standards.

Scott cited troubling patterns including fraudulent ballot submissions, payments to homeless individuals for voter registration, and prolonged ballot counting delays as reasons why Americans watching the process deserve answers.

Two-Decade Scheme Uncovered

The case centers on Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, a 64-year-old Marina del Rey resident who also goes by the name “Anika.” Armstrong recently agreed to plead guilty to a federal felony charge of compensating another individual to register to vote in a federal election.

Federal prosecutors have accused Armstrong of operating as a paid petition circulator for approximately twenty years before expanding her activities to include voter registration efforts. Her alleged scheme specifically targeted homeless residents living on Skid Row, where she reportedly offered money, cigarettes and other incentives in exchange for completed voter registration forms and petition signatures.

Court filings reveal that Armstrong sometimes provided homeless individuals with her own former Los Angeles address to use on registration forms. This practice raised the possibility that mail ballots could be directed to an address under her control, prosecutors contend.

Federal Response and Ongoing Investigation

The Justice Department has characterized Armstrong’s conduct as a clear violation of federal election law. Scott’s letter emphasized that Dhillon herself acknowledged false voter registrations can erode public confidence in elections when charges were announced.

Armstrong allegedly shifted her focus to voter registration after discovering that petition signatures were being rejected because the signers were not registered voters. Federal officials say this realization prompted her to begin registering individuals before collecting their signatures on various California ballot measures, recalls and referendums.

The FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California jointly investigated the case. Federal prosecutors have indicated their examination continues into the broader circumstances and whether additional individuals participated in the alleged scheme.

Los Angeles Mayoral Race Controversy

Scott’s intervention arrives amid heightened scrutiny of election administration in Los Angeles following the city’s June 2 mayoral primary. Councilwoman Nithya Raman overtook reality television personality Spencer Pratt in the days after Election Day as mail ballots continued to be counted, securing her position in the November runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.

The changing results drew criticism from prominent Republicans and conservative voices, including President Trump, who questioned California’s extended ballot-counting procedures. Trump called the outcome a rigged election in a social media post about the mayoral contest.

Los Angeles County election officials have consistently maintained there is no evidence of fraud or vote manipulation in the mayoral race. The Registrar-Recorder’s Office defended the counting process and noted that California law permits ballots received and processed after Election Day deadlines to be counted under specific circumstances.

Call for Federal Oversight

While Scott did not directly accuse Los Angeles election officials of wrongdoing, he pointed to the mayoral race as evidence that public confidence in election administration remains seriously compromised. The senator argued that continued federal oversight is essential.

Scott’s letter also renewed his backing for the SAVE Act, proposed legislation that would mandate documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The senator maintained that stronger election safeguards are necessary to restore public trust and ensure only eligible citizens participate in federal elections.

The senator’s correspondence stressed that Americans 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, the letter stated.

With information from New York Post