A two-page U.S. Department of Justice letter stacked vertically (screenshot/scan), dated October 16, 2026, from the Acting Deputy Attorney General to an Assistant County Counsel at the Los Angeles County Counsel's Office. It responds to the county's October 15 letter. It asserts that the county's registrar must not count ballots from more than 20,000 people the DOJ says are likely noncitizens, that doing so risks aiding and abetting a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 611 and § 2, and that the NVRA 90-day quiet period doesn't apply. It urges the county and California Secretary of State to reconsider. It has the DOJ seal at top left, a handwritten signature at the bottom, and a slightly garbled spot where "NVRA's" appears as "NV 's" on page two.
Text in image: U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20530
(202) 514-2000
October 16, 2026
Peter M. Bollinger
Assistant County Counsel
Los Angeles County Counsel's Office
Re: Response to October 15, 2026 Letter
Mr. Bollinger:
The Department of Justice has reviewed your October 15 letter responding to the federal investigative materials provided to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk ("County ROV"). I write to address several legally untenable assertions and to make unmistakably clear the legal implications for violating 18 U.S.C. § 611.
Your letter asserts that the County ROV is "legally prohibited" from taking even minimal steps—such as temporarily segregating ballots—after receiving credible federal evidence identifying tens of thousands of individuals suspected to be noncitizens. That position is incorrect as a matter of federal law and places officials in both the California Secretary of State ("SOS") and County ROV offices at risk of knowingly facilitating violations of federal criminal statutes.
On October 13, the Department hand delivered a password-protected dataset identifying more than 20,000 individuals who federal agencies reasonably believe are likely noncitizens registered to vote in California. This list was developed through a multilayered, multiagency investigative methodology that relied upon internal immigration records, data matching, supervisory verification procedures, and more.
The legal consequences for either facilitating or ignoring a federal crime are significant. Noncitizen voting in a federal election is a federal crime—and knowingly facilitating such conduct is equally unlawful. Under 18 U.S.C. § 611(a), noncitizens are prohibited from voting in any election involving federal offices. Under 18 U.S.C. § 2, anyone who aids, abets, counsels, induces, or procures the commission of a federal offense is equally liable. If persons knowingly tabulate ballots cast by individuals identified by federal agencies as noncitizens, they risk becoming aiders and abettors to a federal crime. Your assertion that ballots must be counted simply because California's registration system relies on self-attestation does not relieve election officials of their obligations under federal law when they are on actual notice of noncitizen voting. Nor can state procedures supersede federal criminal statutes.
Your argument that the County is "not authorized" to pause or segregate ballots because California relies on attestation-based registration is immaterial. Section 611 does not excuse unlawful voting simply because a State employs a permissive registration method. The Department has not asked the County to adjudicate immigration status; it has asked the County to temporarily set aside ballots from individuals whose eligibility is credibly in question—a standard election-administration practice implemented nationwide.
Likewise, your reliance on the National Voter Registration Act's ("NVRA's") "quiet period" is misplaced. The NV 's 90-day limitation applies only to systematic list-maintenance programs—not to targeted, individualized evidence of unlawful voting identified by federal law enforcement. The Department has not requested a purge, cancellation of registrations, or any programmatic action. We requested only temporary ballot segregation pending citizenship verification. Invoking the NVRA to justify counting ballots unlawfully cast is both legally incorrect and operationally irresponsible.
Additionally, the administrative burdens, timing constraints, or the fact that the investigative list includes individuals residing outside Los Angeles County do not permit the County to knowingly tabulate ballots that federal law prohibits. Once the United States provides credible evidence that certain ballots may be unlawful to count, election officials may not disregard that information because it is inconvenient to process. Administrative difficulty is not a defense to violating federal law or aiding or abetting a federal offense.
The Department strongly urges the County and the SOS to reconsider their positions before taking actions that risk significant federal scrutiny and legal exposure.
Sincerely,
/s/
Trent McCotter
Acting Deputy Attorney General
United States Department of Justice
Described automatically. The words above are a machine's reading of the picture, not Trump's.
Post from Truth Social
What the image shows document
A two-page U.S. Department of Justice letter stacked vertically (screenshot/scan), dated October 16, 2026, from the Acting Deputy Attorney General to an Assistant County Counsel at the Los Angeles County Counsel's Office. It responds to the county's October 15 letter. It asserts that the county's registrar must not count ballots from more than 20,000 people the DOJ says are likely noncitizens, that doing so risks aiding and abetting a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 611 and § 2, and that the NVRA 90-day quiet period doesn't apply. It urges the county and California Secretary of State to reconsider. It has the DOJ seal at top left, a handwritten signature at the bottom, and a slightly garbled spot where "NVRA's" appears as "NV 's" on page two.
Text in image: U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20530 (202) 514-2000 October 16, 2026 Peter M. Bollinger Assistant County Counsel Los Angeles County Counsel's Office Re: Response to October 15, 2026 Letter Mr. Bollinger: The Department of Justice has reviewed your October 15 letter responding to the federal investigative materials provided to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk ("County ROV"). I write to address several legally untenable assertions and to make unmistakably clear the legal implications for violating 18 U.S.C. § 611. Your letter asserts that the County ROV is "legally prohibited" from taking even minimal steps—such as temporarily segregating ballots—after receiving credible federal evidence identifying tens of thousands of individuals suspected to be noncitizens. That position is incorrect as a matter of federal law and places officials in both the California Secretary of State ("SOS") and County ROV offices at risk of knowingly facilitating violations of federal criminal statutes. On October 13, the Department hand delivered a password-protected dataset identifying more than 20,000 individuals who federal agencies reasonably believe are likely noncitizens registered to vote in California. This list was developed through a multilayered, multiagency investigative methodology that relied upon internal immigration records, data matching, supervisory verification procedures, and more. The legal consequences for either facilitating or ignoring a federal crime are significant. Noncitizen voting in a federal election is a federal crime—and knowingly facilitating such conduct is equally unlawful. Under 18 U.S.C. § 611(a), noncitizens are prohibited from voting in any election involving federal offices. Under 18 U.S.C. § 2, anyone who aids, abets, counsels, induces, or procures the commission of a federal offense is equally liable. If persons knowingly tabulate ballots cast by individuals identified by federal agencies as noncitizens, they risk becoming aiders and abettors to a federal crime. Your assertion that ballots must be counted simply because California's registration system relies on self-attestation does not relieve election officials of their obligations under federal law when they are on actual notice of noncitizen voting. Nor can state procedures supersede federal criminal statutes. Your argument that the County is "not authorized" to pause or segregate ballots because California relies on attestation-based registration is immaterial. Section 611 does not excuse unlawful voting simply because a State employs a permissive registration method. The Department has not asked the County to adjudicate immigration status; it has asked the County to temporarily set aside ballots from individuals whose eligibility is credibly in question—a standard election-administration practice implemented nationwide. Likewise, your reliance on the National Voter Registration Act's ("NVRA's") "quiet period" is misplaced. The NV 's 90-day limitation applies only to systematic list-maintenance programs—not to targeted, individualized evidence of unlawful voting identified by federal law enforcement. The Department has not requested a purge, cancellation of registrations, or any programmatic action. We requested only temporary ballot segregation pending citizenship verification. Invoking the NVRA to justify counting ballots unlawfully cast is both legally incorrect and operationally irresponsible. Additionally, the administrative burdens, timing constraints, or the fact that the investigative list includes individuals residing outside Los Angeles County do not permit the County to knowingly tabulate ballots that federal law prohibits. Once the United States provides credible evidence that certain ballots may be unlawful to count, election officials may not disregard that information because it is inconvenient to process. Administrative difficulty is not a defense to violating federal law or aiding or abetting a federal offense. The Department strongly urges the County and the SOS to reconsider their positions before taking actions that risk significant federal scrutiny and legal exposure. Sincerely, /s/ Trent McCotter Acting Deputy Attorney General United States Department of Justice
Described automatically. The words above are a machine's reading of the picture, not Trump's.