Overview
- Plainclothes federal agents were observed conducting interviews on Skid Row on Thursday as part of the inquiry, with reporters and local outlets describing roughly 20 officers questioning dozens of residents.
- Short videos that surfaced after the election show people on Skid Row saying they were paid $2–$5 to register or vote for specific candidates, though some clips have been deleted and the claims have not been independently verified.
- The California Post supplied footage to the DOJ and reported finding thousands of voter registrations linked to shelters and service addresses, including more than 1,000 tied to the Midnight Mission.
- Federal officials confirmed an active criminal investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s office said it is coordinating a comprehensive audit of California voter rolls; no public charges directly connecting the alleged activity to the election outcome have been announced.
- Reporting is divided between outlets that amplify the video allegations and those noting verification limits, and investigators will need voter records, witness statements, and ballot evidence to establish whether laws against paying people to vote were broken.