Trump DOJ to monitor polling sites in 2 blue states in response to concerns about voter fraud, 'irregularities'

The Trump Justice Department announced on Friday that it will monitor several polling sites in California and New Jersey ahead of the blue states' off-year Nov. 4 elections "to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law."

The DOJ's Civil Rights Division will specifically deploy personnel to monitor polling sites in the California's Kern, Riverside, Fresno, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties as well as in New Jersey's Passaic County.

'We have received reports of irregularities in these counties that we fear will undermine either the willingness of voters to participate in the election or their confidence in the announced results.'

"The Department of Justice will do everything necessary to protect the votes of eligible American citizens, ensuring our elections are safe and secure," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. "Transparent election processes and election monitoring are critical tools for safeguarding our elections and ensuring public trust in the integrity of our elections."

In New Jersey, voters are set to decide who will replace Gov. Phil Murphy (D).

It is presently a close race between Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli, the former New Jersey assemblyman who fell short by fewer than four points in the 2021 gubernatorial race.

According to a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll, 50% of voters would have cast votes for Sherrill and 45% would have cast votes for Ciattarelli if the election were held this week.

New Jersey Republicans recently asked the Justice Department in an Oct. 20 letter to dispatch Civil Rights Division personnel to monitor both the handling of vote-by-mail ballots and access to the Board of Elections in Passaic County, a historically Democratic stronghold that supported President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

The New Jersey GOP stressed the urgency of such oversight, citing a "long and sordid history of [vote-by-mail ballot] fraud," a dearth of transparency, and an allegedly insufficient response to potential fraud by state officials.

Concerns over potential mail-in voting improprieties appear to have heightened in recent years not only by the voter fraud scandal that marred a 2020 city council election in Paterson, the county's most populous city, but the alleged refusal by the county's Board of Elections to allow security cameras to monitor ballot storage areas.

The California Republican Party similarly requested the DOJ's Civil Rights Division to provide monitors in five counties in the Golden State.

'Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process.'

Corrin Rankin, chairwoman of the state GOP, said Monday in a letter to Dhillon, "In recent elections, we have received reports of irregularities in these counties that we fear will undermine either the willingness of voters to participate in the election or their confidence in the announced results of the election."

Ensuring the integrity of the Nov. 4 election is all the more important because its result could impact future federal elections.

In California, voters will decide on Proposition 50, a measure that would replace the state's current congressional map with a version that creates five new majority-Democrat districts.

This redistricting scheme was championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and endorsed by former President Barack Obama after both men and multitudes of other Democrats spent weeks pearl-clutching about Texas Republicans' successful adoption of a new congressional map on Aug. 29.

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), among the critics of Proposition 50, told the Houston Chronicle, "It is very wrong what they’re trying to do in California. It is not at all serving the people. It is serving the party."

While the DOJ regularly sends personnel to ensure compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections across the country, Democrats in both blue states are fuming over the planned presence of Civil Rights Division monitors at poll sites in their upcoming elections.

"This is not a federal election. The U.S. DOJ has no business or basis to interfere with this election. This is solely about whether California amends our state constitution," Newsom's office stated on X. "This administration has made no secret of its goal to undermine free and fair elections. Deploying these federal forces appears to be an intimidation tactic meant for one thing: suppress the vote."

New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin (D) said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press that the move was "highly inappropriate" and suggested that the Justice Department "has not even attempted to identify a legitimate basis for its actions."

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi noted, "Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process, and this Department of Justice is committed to upholding the highest standards of election integrity."

"We will commit the resources necessary to ensure the American people get the fair, free, and transparent elections they deserve," added Bondi.

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Sean Duffy Details How He Could Hammer California For Giving Illegal Aliens CDLs Following Fatal Wreck

'I am doing a quick review of their lack of compliance'

The shocking details behind another fatal illegal alien truck crash

A crash on Tuesday in California involving an illegal alien truck driver resulted in three deaths and the hospitalization of several others.

Authorities identified the commercial truck driver allegedly responsible for the deadly collision as Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old Indian national in the United States illegally.

'It is a terrible tragedy three innocent people lost their lives due to the reckless open border policies that allowed an illegal alien to be released into the US and drive an 18-wheeler on America’s highways.'

The California Highway Patrol arrested Singh, and he is being detained without bail at the West Valley Detention Center in San Bernardino.

The CHP told KCBS-TV that officers are investigating whether Singh has a valid commercial driver’s license to operate the semitruck.

Authorities claim Singh was speeding, and they suspect he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash on the 10 Freeway in Ontario that caused three deaths and injuries to four others. All of the victims were adults, the Ontario Fire Department told KCBS.

Rodrigo Jimenez of the CHP told KTLA that one of the vehicles involved in the collision was so badly mangled that investigators still had not identified its make and model.

Photo by Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images

“The fact that there are so many commercial vehicles involved in the crash, there’s a lot of weight behind the crash force,” Jimenez told the news outlet. “This is a very complex investigation, and that’s why officers from our multi-disciplinary accident investigation team have taken over.”

“This is a tragic crash because it was very preventable,” he continued. “If somebody had just paid attention, if everyone was driving sober, this tragedy would not have occurred.”

Singh faces charges of driving under the influence of drugs and causing bodily injury and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

Dash camera footage from Singh’s cab showed the truck plowing into multiple vehicles without Singh appearing to apply the brakes.

Blaze News has reached out the office of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for comment.

Photo by: Peter Titmuss/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Thursday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed an arrest detainer against Singh. The department noted that he was released into the country under the Biden administration after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in 2022.

“It is a terrible tragedy three innocent people lost their lives due to the reckless open border policies that allowed an illegal alien to be released into the U.S. and drive an 18-wheeler on America’s highways,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated.

“This accident follows a disturbing trend of illegal aliens driving 18-wheelers and semitrucks on America’s roads,” she continued. “Earlier this week, DHS highlighted another fatal accident in Indiana caused by an illegal alien driving a semitruck. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE is working day-in and day-out to make America’s roads safe again.”

Earlier this month, the Department of Transportation announced it would withhold $40 million from California after the state failed to comply with English-language proficiency requirements for CDL holders.

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy called the situation “OUTRAGEOUS,” adding, “This is exactly why I set new restrictions that prohibit ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS from operating trucks.”

He demanded that Newsom “join every other state in the U.S. in enforcing these new actions to prevent any more accidents and deaths.”

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Creep with violent past allegedly gropes store customer, threatens to kill others — so woman in store shoots him dead instead

A 42-year-old man followed another customer into the Pink Beauty Supply store in Compton, California, on Sunday afternoon and "groped her once inside" the store, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lieut. DeJong told KCBS-TV.

When employees told him to leave, the man allegedly refused and began to verbally assault them and some customers before he started throwing objects inside the store, KCBS added.

'In this day and age where there are no boundaries and everyone believes that they can do whatever they want, without fear of prosecution or penalty, this is the proper way to handle it. Good for her.'

Employees and customers noted that the male had an object in his hand that they believed was a knife, the sheriff's department said, adding that the male made verbal threats that he was going to kill and harm everyone in the store.

With that, one of the customers — not the one he allegedly groped — pulled out a gun, KCBS said.

Fearing for the store employees, herself, and other customers, the sheriff's department said she fired a warning shot at the male. But the male turned toward her, officials said — and fearing she was going to be attacked, she fired a second shot, striking the male.

DeJong noted to KCBS that "he went down."

The sheriff's department said the shooting took place just before 3:30 p.m. and that Compton Fire Department personnel responded and pronounced the male dead at the scene.

Investigators noted to KCBS that the woman who pulled the trigger was a customer at the store, and she remained at the scene to cooperate with officials.

Detectives added to the station that parking lot surveillance video indicates the man was loitering in the area and drinking alcohol.

"He alleged he was a gang member, and LASD says it appears he was a gang member; unknown if still active," DeJong told KCBS while adding that the male had a lengthy criminal history that included assaults, robberies, thefts, and disturbing the peace.

The station said it's unclear whether the woman will face any charges for the shooting, and it hasn't yet been determined whether it was done in self-defense.

KNBC-TV said the woman is in her 50s, that she surrendered the gun, and that no one was arrested.

The sheriff's department is asking the public for information about the shooting, noting that individuals can contact the sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Those who prefer to provide information anonymously can call "Crime Stoppers" by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477) or use their smartphones by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile App on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the Crime Stoppers website, officials said.

Nearly 5,000 comments have rolled into a Los Angeles Times story about the shooting, which Yahoo News republished. The latest reactions reflect strong support for the woman's actions:

"Firing a WARNING SHOT was pure genius!" one commenter wrote. "Unfortunately, this criminal made a fatal decision by ignoring it! One less criminal on our streets! Congrats!"
"Another person [who] deserves to never pay for any alcohol in their area," another commenter said. "Good job following through on the reason you carry in the first place. I know that was a very hard decision, but if it's you or them, always choose them. She is a HERO and deserves a hero's welcome."
"In this day and age where there are no boundaries and everyone believes that they can do whatever they want, without fear of prosecution or penalty, this is the proper way to handle it," another commenter noted. "Good for her."
"Unfortunately, citizens are having to defend themselves more frequently these days, [and] her response was appropriate for the situation," another commenter opined. "Given our legal system, he would have been out in hours and recommenced doing the same…"
"Justice can come swiftly and in different forms; he got his," another commenter said. "Offenders beware: Many people [nowadays] are armed."

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San Jose Sharks apologize for displaying pro-ICE message on scoreboard during Hispanic celebration

The San Jose Sharks hockey team will not explain how a message in support of Immigration and Customs Enforcement made its way onto the big screen.

The incident happened during the first intermission on Saturday at the Sharks' annual Hispanic celebration at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.

'The Sharks organization sincerely apologizes for this oversight.'

During the break in the scoreless game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a text image appeared on the arena's scoreboard reading, "SJ SHARKS FANS LOVE ICE!! GET'EM BOYZ!" along with a video of the team mascot, S.J. Sharkie, waving next to the message.

A fan captured the message in a video and posted it to X.

"Hey [Sharks], how on earth is this an acceptable thing to have on your Jumbotron, like, ever, much less on a night honoring Hispanic heritage? I'm so appalled and disappointed in you right now," the fan wrote.

This prompted an apology from the organization later that night, describing the message as offensive and coming from an "outside source."

"During the first intermission of tonight's game, an offensively worded message which had been externally submitted was inadvertently displayed on the in-arena scoreboard," the message explained. "Sharks Sports & Entertainment deeply regrets that this message, which does not meet our organization's values, was not detected during our standard review process. The Sharks organization sincerely apologizes for this oversight, and we are actively working to determine the origin of the message."

— (@)

Blaze News asked the team if the investigation was concluded and what exactly the team was apologizing for.

Scott Emmert, the team's senior vice president of communications, responded and said the organization declined to provide further comment on the situation.

In video of the incident, at the bottom of the screen, a scrolling message stated, "Want to see your personalized greeting here? Visit sjsharkie.com."

That URL leads to a website offering a "Name in Lights" scoreboard greeting program.

"The Sharks are offering completely customizable greetings. Your greeting will appear in lights during the 1st intermission and you may add any greeting to the center hung scoreboard," the program states.

Restrictions on the messages include those with a commercial purpose or any that are "obscene, offensive, or refer negatively to any NHL team."

Using NHL players' names is also prohibited, and the team reserves the right to remove or edit any message. In the case of a removal, the $75 fee is refunded.

The night in question was the team's ninth annual Los Tiburones game, "a celebration of the team's commitment to the Bay Area's vibrant Hispanic community."

The night spotlights Latino performers and concessions, a Spanish-language broadcast, and, of course, a bevy of merchandise.

In the aftermath of the scoreboard message, fans were outraged, but their political leanings depended on the platform.

On X, the team saw an overwhelmingly pro-ICE response, with messages such as "why is supporting law enforcement offensive," and "So the Sharks are in favor of illegal immigration? Is that what I’m gathering?"

On Instagram, however, multiple unrelated posts by the team saw messages calling the team racist or asking "you guys gonna start calling ice on fans or what?"

The Sharks did not make a dedicated post with their apology on Instagram.

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