Investigation Launched After Viral Video EXPOSES Mass Poll Petition Fraud in California
Once again, Gavin Newsom’s California is making headlines over accusations of a gigantic fraud scandal happening in the state.
An investigation has been launched after a video of people being paid “$5 a pop” for forging signatures on political petitions went viral.
Here’s the full, original video:
California petition fraud reportedly caught on camera.
Listen as she tells them what name & other info to use. Paying $5 per signature.
Surely this is illegal.
I always wondering how they get the signatures for absentee ballots 🤔
Pass the Save Act!
— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) March 12, 2026
In the state of California, it’s already illegal to pay people to sign a political petition.
But, that’s not the only problem with what was happening in the video…
By all appearances, it looks like these people were being paid to illegally sign using other people’s names!
This clip from Fox News dove deeper into the fraud allegations:
HOLY CRAP: Gavin Newsom is LOSING SLEEP TONIGHT now that his state is once again under the spotlight over potentially MASSIVE fraud schemes.
“An investigation is underway over a video appearing to show people in the state being paid to sign other voters’ names on political… pic.twitter.com/tTBJRSj2i9
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) March 16, 2026
HOLY CRAP: Gavin Newsom is LOSING SLEEP TONIGHT now that his state is once again under the spotlight over potentially MASSIVE fraud schemes.
“An investigation is underway over a video appearing to show people in the state being paid to sign other voters’ names on political campaign petitions.”
Tick tock Newscum, accountability is just around the corner.
In case you’re wondering, there were multiple ballot petitions being signed on that incredibly sketchy table, including one to stop California’s proposed billionaire tax.
But, according to the guy filming the video, the people signing the petitions likely had no clue what they were even signing.
They were just there for some quick cash.
The Los Angeles Times has more:
Petitions connected to at least three ballot campaigns — including the billionaire-backed effort to thwart California’s proposed billionaire tax — appear in the video.
“I approached some people and asked them what they were there for,” Smith told The Times. “They told me they didn’t know what they were signing for, that they just wanted the $5.”
Smith, whose real name is Omar Ward, has been known for posting images on social media of people suffering from addiction on San Francisco’s streets.
He said he watched the signature-collection scene for hours and estimated that a few hundred people cycled through the line over roughly two hours.
Those running the table did not ask for anyone’s identification and gave no explanation of what was actually being signed, he said.
The video showed voter data from San Luis Obispo County that was both visible and, as details were spoken aloud, audible.
The county acted immediately after becoming aware of the video and initiated an investigation through the fraud unit of the California secretary of state’s office, said Erin Clausen, public information officer for the San Luis Obispo county clerk’s office.
Clausen noted that, although voter registration data can be legally requested from county election offices, the data in this case may have been used inappropriately. The county also is planning on reaching out directly to voters who were specifically mentioned or identified in the video, according to Clausen.
“The activity shown in the video, if verified, would violate California election law,” County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano said in a formal statement released Wednesday morning.
The secretary of state’s office confirmed it had opened a formal investigation. It is working with local officials and encouraged anyone with information to file a complaint.
“Under California law, it is illegal to give money or other valuable consideration to another in exchange for their signature on an initiative petition,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Those who abuse our system will be held accountable.”
I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fraud in California…
Hopefully, we’ll see the new anti-fraud task force — led by our amazing VP JD Vance — expose it all in the coming weeks and months.
More on that here:
President Trump Appoints VP JD Vance To A New Position!