Federal agents were seen conducting interviews on Los Angeles’ Skid Row on Thursday as part of an investigation tied to allegations of voter fraud that emerged following California’s June 2 primary election, as reported [1] by Red State.
The investigation comes after questions were raised about voting activity connected to Los Angeles’ mayoral race, where a late surge of mail-in ballots from the Skid Row area reportedly benefited District 4 City Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman.
The additional ballots helped Raman move ahead of media personality Spencer Pratt and secure a position in the race’s top two, eliminating Pratt [2] from advancing.
Reports following the election alleged that some homeless individuals living in the Skid Row area had been offered money in exchange for participating in voter registration activities and providing voting-related information.
According to accounts published by the California Post, federal officers arrived in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday morning and began interviewing individuals in the area.
The publication reported that approximately 20 agents participated in the operation.
HOT FLASH
About 20 agents swooped in on Skid Row after homeless people living there claimed they’d been paid cash to sign multiple registration forms, forge signatures and fill out voter information.
Federal officers descended on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles… pic.twitter.com/stcsBOZR9r [4]— Mike Netter (@nettermike) June 18, 2026 [5]
As @BoredElonMusk [6] & the data show, Raman’s late mail in ballot surge was fueled in large part by ballots from Skid Row.
Tens of thousands of homeless whose ballots are sent to central addresses (not the sidewalk) & can be filled out/returned by someone else.
Suspicious… https://t.co/Ch3yVr26WZ [7] pic.twitter.com/lnHXDnQiFq [8]
— Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD (@houmanhemmati) June 7, 2026 [9]
Witnesses described plainclothes investigators speaking with residents throughout Skid Row and taking notes as they gathered information. Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations were also reportedly involved in the operation.
The California Post reported that investigators were dressed in casual clothing, including jeans, sweatshirts, and baseball caps, while conducting interviews.
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that federal authorities were investigating a criminal matter but declined to provide additional details. The FBI similarly stated that it does not comment on ongoing investigations.
The investigation follows reporting published on June 12 alleging that homeless individuals in Los Angeles had been encouraged to cast ballots [10] in support of either incumbent Mayor Karen Bass or Raman.
The report included interviews with individuals who claimed they had accepted payment connected to voting activities.
The latest developments also come weeks after the Department of Justice announced charges against Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, a professional signature collector involved in ballot initiative campaigns.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Armstrong paid individuals, including homeless residents living on the streets of Skid Row, to register to vote.
One woman living on LA’s Skid Row said people were paid to fill out and sign voter registration forms. When asked how many ballots she would sign at once, she responded: “Four or five. It depends.” https://t.co/PxiizoYOPd [11] pic.twitter.com/qJRfTvDL0H [12]
— California Post (@californiapost) June 13, 2026 [13]
At the time of the indictment, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon issued a statement regarding the allegations.
“False registrations undermine Americans’ faith in elections – even more so when payoffs are involved. This Justice Department is committed to ensuring that all U.S. elections are fair and free from illegal meddling – so that all Americans can accept the results with confidence.”
The allegations surrounding Skid Row have generated additional scrutiny of election procedures in Los Angeles as vote counting and post-election reviews continue.
Questions have also been raised regarding voter registration addresses and the use of homeless shelters and temporary locations in registration records.
Election officials have not publicly announced any findings related to the allegations, and federal authorities have not released details regarding the scope of the current investigation.
As of Thursday evening, investigators had not announced any arrests connected to the Skid Row operation, nor had they disclosed whether the inquiry was focused solely on the Los Angeles mayoral race or extended to other elections conducted during the June primary.
The federal investigation remains ongoing.