"THEY'RE CAUGHT': California Elections Fraud Exposed — This Is MINDBLOWING"
Los Angeles Petition Circulator Agrees to Plead Guilty to Paying Individuals to Register to Vote
A longtime Los Angeles County petition circulator has agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge of paying another person to register to vote. Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, 64, of Marina del Rey, also known as “Anika,” faces a potential sentence of up to five years in federal prison if the plea is accepted by the court.
Armstrong is scheduled to appear in federal court in Santa Ana on Monday. Court documents describe her as having worked for nearly two decades collecting signatures for initiatives, referendums, and recalls to qualify measures for California ballots. She was compensated by coordinators based on the number of valid signatures obtained from registered voters.
Federal prosecutors allege that Armstrong targeted areas with large numbers of individuals willing to sign in exchange for payment, including Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. According to the plea agreement, she regularly paid between $2 and $3 to induce people to sign petitions. When some individuals lacked a permanent address, she reportedly instructed them at times to use one of her former Los Angeles addresses on voter registration forms. Those forms registered the individuals for both California and federal elections.
Federal Officials Comment on the Case
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli described the case during a news conference.
“This is not an allegation, this is not a theory, this is an example of admitted voter fraud,” Essayli said.
He stated that federal authorities intend to pursue election-related crimes aggressively. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon emphasized that false voter registrations can undermine public confidence in elections and that the Justice Department remains committed to ensuring elections are conducted fairly and without illegal interference.
Connection to Video Investigation and Broader Efforts
The case received attention after video footage recorded by conservative journalist James O’Keefe appeared to show cash being handed to a homeless individual. O’Keefe stated on social media that his investigation contributed to Armstrong being charged earlier this year.
The guilty plea occurs alongside a separate Justice Department lawsuit against California Secretary of State Shirley Weber. Federal officials are seeking access to the state’s unredacted voter file, including names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and portions of Social Security numbers. The department argues the information is needed under provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the Help America Vote Act, and the National Voter Registration Act.
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A federal judge in Santa Ana dismissed the lawsuit in January, determining that release of the information would violate federal privacy protections. State officials argued the request was intended to assist with immigration enforcement rather than election oversight. The Justice Department has appealed the decision, with arguments scheduled before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena.
Armstrong’s plea represents one of the more prominent federal voter fraud prosecutions tied to petition circulation in California in recent years. Federal prosecutors have not indicated whether additional individuals connected to the matter may face charges as the investigation continues.
