All legal documents pertaining to this case obtained by The Riverside Record can be accessed here. All of The Riverside Record’s reporting about Sheriff Chad Bianco’s election investigation can be found here.
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The Riverside County Registrar of Voters (ROV) is set to destroy the ballots from last November’s special statewide election at the heart of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office (RSO) investigation into alleged election irregularities, first reported by The Riverside Record.
“The [California] Department of Justice has confirmed that it has completed its review of the sheriff’s investigation and has no objections to the county’s disposition of the ballots in accordance with state law,” County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen said in an emailed statement to The Record. “The Secretary of State’s Office has also confirmed that the ballots must be destroyed pursuant to California Elections Code.”
Following that guidance, and after an independent legal review confirming the county’s obligations under state law, Van Wagenen said the ROV would proceed with the destruction of ballots “in accordance with established election procedures.”
The ballots, along with other election materials seized as part of RSO’s investigation, were returned to the ROV nearly two weeks ago, following a pair of California Supreme Court rulings in which the justices found they had been unlawfully removed. At that time, Van Wagenen said the ROV sought written guidance “regarding the appropriate disposition of those materials.”
Bianco, who has maintained that the investigation and the seizure were both lawful, sent out an email Monday afternoon via his campaign stating that his attorney had informed him the ballots would be destroyed the following day.
“This is exactly what AG Rob Bonta wanted — for trust in our elections to be buried, along with any evidence of a crime,” the email said. “Due to the recent California Supreme Court ruling, the Attorney General now has the authority to shut down any investigation he wants.”
The email then asked readers for donations to Bianco’s 2028 campaign fund, which he has also previously said he was using to cover the cost of his attorneys for the Supreme Court cases after the Riverside County Supervisors voted against paying for it with taxpayer dollars.
The Riverside Record reached out to the California Attorney General’s (AG) Office, which said questions were best directed to the California Secretary of State (SOS). The SOS, in response to a request for comment, said questions should be directed to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters (ROV).
The county, in its statement, said ROV Art Tinoco would not be available for interviews since he was focused on preparing for the November 3 election.
“The county remains committed to secure, accurate, transparent, and lawful elections,” Van Wagenen said. “We have confidence in [Tinoco] and the dedicated professionals in the [ROV’s] office, who continue to carry out their responsibilities while preparing for the November 3 general election.”
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