First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has stated that criminal charges are anticipated from federal election fraud investigations currently underway in California.

Essayli, who leads the Federal Prosecution Team for the Central District of California—a jurisdiction covering approximately 20 million residents and staffed by over 500 attorneys, agents, and personnel—said his office expects to bring defendants through the probes. He also accused state officials of deliberately obstructing federal efforts to access voter registration records.

The investigations, which are being conducted in coordination with the FBI, have been active for more than a year under the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, and the Civil Rights Act. Essayli’s office has worked alongside Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon to audit California’s voter rolls as part of this effort.

California accepted over 4.2 million mail-in ballots in its recent primary election, with ballots dropped off by 8 p.m. on Election Day or postmarked on Election Day and received by Tuesday following that date being counted.

A prior case involving a Marina del Rey woman who allegedly paid individuals to register to vote has been cited by Essayli as an example of the types of fraud under investigation. However, specific details about the current probes remain undisclosed.

Essayli’s efforts to audit voter rolls are pending before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, while state officials continue to assert that no irregularities exist warranting federal intervention.