The pro-Trump prosecutor trying to stop California ballots from being counted

Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in southern California, is trying to keep thousands of ballots out of the count in the coming midterms, a move that has alarmed legal and democracy experts. Essayli, 40, filed suit seeking to make California sideline ballots cast by 20,000 voters whom the Department of Justice describes as probable noncitizens until the state confirms their eligibility. State election officials call the federal data unreliable and the request impossible to carry out, warning that eligible citizens could lose their votes. An appeals court initially sided against the department on Monday, according to The Guardian.

His office also brought charges against 13 green card holders over alleged unlawful registration; agents detained a 72-year-old among them before news cameras, and the department featured the arrest in a promotional video. Essayli has warned election officials they could face prosecution for knowingly processing a noncitizen's ballot. Former Justice Department lawyer Sergio Perez said the effort aims to discourage voting.

Critics see a broader pattern of Trump-aligned prosecutions, several of which have collapsed, and judges have criticized his office's conduct. This week a federal judge found Essayli was serving unlawfully, a decision that clouds his future in the job.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →