Padilla Statement on Trump’s DOJ Lawsuit Against California and Los Angeles Election Officials

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice sued California’s Secretary of State and Los Angeles County’s Registrar Recorder to prevent them from calculating ballots sent to a list of alleged ineligible voters without any legal basis or supporting evidence: “We’ve seen this coming: Donald Trump’s Department of Justice with no authority is now actively trying to interfere in the 2026 elections and strong-arm California into purging names from our voter rolls and blocking mail ballots based purely on vague allegations less than three weeks before Election Day. This lawsuit has no legal basis or evidence behind it and is nothing more than a blatant abuse of power designed to sow distrust in our elections and threaten Americans’ right to vote. The truth is simple: our elections are safe and secure; the widespread voter fraud that Trump has claimed for 10 years does not exist. “We will fight this illegal overreach every step of the way.” ###