The state Justice Department instructed the sheriff’s department to share any information that could substantiate its concerns in order to understand the basis for the investigation.
Those orders went unheeded, according to court filings. The lawsuit in the 4th District Court of Appeal, filed Monday, asked that the court intervene in order “to prevent further abuse of the criminal process.”
“The Sheriff has not identified any particular crime that may have been committed by anyone — a necessary predicate to obtain a criminal search warrant,” said the attorney general’s office in a statement to CalMatters. “The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office is not equipped nor legally authorized to play the role of elections monitor. By all appearances, this investigation is little more than a fishing expedition meant to sow distrust and undermine public confidence in our elections.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks to reporters as Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, left, and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, right, listen outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)
Bonta had taken particular issue with the sworn statements that Bianco has made to a Riverside County judge to obtain warrants allowing him to seize the ballots. The sheriff got two warrants in February and another last week after receiving a complaint about ballot discrepancies from a Riverside County citizens’ group. Bonta has said the sheriff’s department statements his office reviewed did not establish enough probable cause to justify seizing election materials.
None of the sworn statements or the evidence Bianco presented can be judged by the public because the warrants are under seal in the Riverside County Superior Court and redacted in Bonta’s court filings over the issue. The warrants were approved by Judge Jay Kiel, a former prosecutor who ran for the seat in 2022 with Bianco’s endorsement.
The citizens’ group claimed Riverside County elections officials overstated the number of ballots counted in the November special election over Democrat-drawn congressional maps. Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco has denied the group’s claims and told county supervisors last month the group was using incomplete data that did not include confidential, provisional and other ballots his office received.
In a statement to CalMatters, Bianco criticized Bonta, a Democrat who has been the state’s top law enforcement officer since 2021.