Bonta challenges 48-hour federal deadline to verify 20,000 California ballots

California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Saturday called a new federal demand to audit ballots "completely improper." He accused the Justice Department of acting on the direct orders of President Donald Trump. Bonta told MS Now that the agency was "politicizing and weaponizing the law to attack its enemies." The criticism lands less than two weeks before the midterm elections.

Federal prosecutors sent a directive to California election officials on Friday. They have 48 hours to verify the citizenship status of roughly 20,000 individuals on a provided list. The list centers on ballots tied to suspected noncitizens. While noncitizen voting is rare, the Justice Department has increased prosecutions of those accused of voting without US citizenship as the election date nears.

State election personnel warn the short timeline could strip eligible citizens of their right to vote. Los Angeles officials noted this week that a high percentage of the people on the list were born in the United States. Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the effort on social media, calling it an "Absolute clown show!" He said the department sent counties lists of people who never voted and voters from the wrong county in a bid to invent widespread voter fraud.

Congressman Pete Aguilar, who represents south-west San Bernardino county, wrote that voter intimidation has no place in American democracy. The Justice Department framed its request as a measure to secure the vote. A department statement said it asked county officials to provide information so the Department of Homeland Security could quickly verify citizenship. It claimed the cooperation would ensure the most secure election in California history.

Bonta has questioned the evidence behind the list. At a recent press conference, he said officials received only names without explanation for why those people were ineligible. "If they have such information, we would be happy to review it, but they've provided none," he said. The department also recently charged 28 foreign nationals with fraudulently registering to vote. Those defendants are lawful permanent residents who hold legal status in the US but are not citizens.

Bill Essayli, first assistant US attorney, said the arrests proved California was mailing ballots to noncitizens. He argued that state refusal to comply with federal law made the act a crime. Some state officials took no action on the letters sent Friday, citing the approaching election. This inaction triggered a legal fight with the Justice Department. An appeals court is scheduled to hear the matter on Tuesday.