Bill Essayli, the interim U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, is fighting to block thousands of ballots from being counted in the upcoming midterms, claiming the voters are likely noncitizens. In a lawsuit against the state of California, Essayli is demanding that officials set aside ballots from approximately 20,000 individuals to verify their eligibility before they are tallied, a move that state election officials say is logistically impossible and risks disenfranchising legitimate U.S. citizens, The Guardian reported.
This legal battle is the latest in a series of aggressive, politically charged actions by Essayli since he was appointed to lead one of the country’s largest federal prosecutor’s offices in April 2025. By fighting to block thousands of votes from being counted and prosecuting Trump’s critics, Essayli has shifted the office’s focus toward the priorities of the president, with a federal judge ruling in one case that he was acting “unlawfully”.
A campaign to chill the vote
Beyond the arrests, Essayli has extended his threats to the people who manage the elections. He has warned election officials that anyone who “knowingly processes” a ballot cast by a noncitizen would be opening themselves to “legal jeopardy.” While the Department of Justice contends the data justifies these moves, state officials argue the information is unreliable. An appeals court issued an initial ruling against the DoJ’s bid to set aside the votes on Monday.
“This is all in service of an intentional effort to chill the vote in California,” said Sergio Perez, a former DoJ lawyer and civil rights advocate. “It’s improper politicization of the office. And it’s unheard of for a US attorney to engage in this kind of activity on the eve of an election.”
The stakes here aren’t just political; they’re personal. For the 20,000 people on that list, the difference between a counted ballot and a set-aside vote is the difference between having a voice in the midterms and being silenced by a federal lawsuit.
OPERATION PROTECT THE VOTE28 foreign nationals were charged in criminal complaints with federal crimes, including that they fraudulently registered to vote in U.S. elections, electoral contests in which most of them cast illegal and fraudulently obtained ballots.This was a… pic.twitter.com/JeW3yMG6yd
The pattern of “bad faith” prosecutions
Essayli’s tenure has been defined by a “hard-charging” approach that often ignores traditional prosecutorial norms. Since spring 2025, his office has focused heavily on Trump’s critics and those protesting immigration crackdowns. The results have been an anomaly in federal law enforcement. While federal prosecutors typically maintain a conviction rate above 90%, Essayli’s record in immigration-related protest cases tells a different story.
From the State Assembly to the DoJ
Essayli’s transition to federal prosecutor followed a career marked by ideological combat. In 2022, he was elected to the California state assembly, where he became known for railing against “woke” policies. His time in the assembly was punctuated by volatility, including an incident where he shouted “You’re a fucking liar!” at a colleague after his microphone was cut.
When Donald Trump took office for a second term in 2025, Essayli was brought back to the DoJ as an interim U.S. Attorney. This appointment allowed him to bypass Senate confirmation, giving him immediate control over 500 staffers and a jurisdiction covering 20 million people.
The “Takedown” strategy
The legal community is now watching closely to see if these tactics will lead to Essayli’s removal. In one key case this week, a federal judge ruled that Essayli was acting "unlawfully," a decision that strikes at the heart of his authority and his future within the Justice Department.
More on Bill Essayli
Alabama 2nd District Race Tightens: Shomari Figures vs. Rhett Marques
In the deep-red heart of south Alabama, a congressional race that once looked like a Republican lock is...
John Healey taxes banks to fund energy cuts and boost defense spending
U.K. Finance Minister John Healey has deployed a calculated fiscal strategy to dampen a domestic cost-of-living crisis without...
Pat McAfee says he hates University of Utah after ‘College GameDay’ video – LA Times
Pat McAfee Puts University of Utah in His Crosshairs After Social Media Video In a tense fallout that...
Franklin Web Printing Empowers The Contributor for Nearly Two Decades
For nearly two decades, a partnership has turned the act of printing a newspaper into a vehicle for...