Tillis accuses California of being 'guilty' of ballot harvesting: 'They have a system there that is ripe for abuse'
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Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Sunday accused the state of California of being “guilty” of ballot harvesting, claiming that the Golden State has “a system there that is ripe for abuse.”
“Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan asked about the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) legal battle with the state over potential noncitizens on their voter rolls, and the threat of legal consequences if mail-in ballots continue to be sent out.
Along with the DOJ’s preemptive lawsuit against Alaska to block certifying its votes if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses in November and the federal investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Brennan asked if there was a pattern and if Tillis was “comfortable with these actions this close to an election.”
“Well, I think we have to be careful,” Tillis said. “First, you’ve got to take them separately. California has been guilty of ballot harvesting. They have a policy to do it. They have a system there that is ripe for abuse and they need to be looked at.”
The DOJ sued the state earlier this month after giving California officials 48 hours to set aside the ballots of the 20,000 noncitizens to be given to the Department of Homeland Security. The department previously warned that California officials could face legal action if they did not comply, with President Trump claiming they “will all go to jail for a long period of time!!!”
The department reportedly sent letters to every county in the state asking that they identify potential noncitizens on their voter rolls, a task that top federal prosecutor in Southern California, Bill Essayli, called “simple.”
The DOJ’s letters included a list of people federal officials claimed the agency has identified as possible noncitizens who may receive ballots through California’s practice of sending a ballot to every registered voter in the state.
“California does not verify citizenship status. We did the work for them,” Essayli wrote on social media. “We obtained the registered voter list and told them who we believe are noncitizens on their rolls. Knowingly processing noncitizen ballots is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. §§ 611 and 2. We will hold election officials accountable. No one is above the law.”
Last Thursday, the DOJ requested that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals intervene by temporarily blocking the state from counting the ballots. This came days after 28 people accused of not being U.S. citizens were charged in connection with illegally registered votes. These 28 people were alleged by the DOJ to be among the 20,000 noncitizens.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has fired back at the DOJ and Trump, last week accusing the president of “trying to quite literally rig the election.”
“He’s trying to get our voter rolls,” he said at a campaign rally. “You can’t make this stuff up.”
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Sunday accused the state of California of being "guilty" of ballot harvesting, claiming that the Golden State has "a system there that is ripe for…
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
Skip to content
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Sunday accused the state of California of being “guilty” of ballot harvesting, claiming that the Golden State has “a system there that is ripe for abuse.”
“Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan asked about the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) legal battle with the state over potential noncitizens on their voter rolls, and the threat of legal consequences if mail-in ballots continue to be sent out.
Along with the DOJ’s preemptive lawsuit against Alaska to block certifying its votes if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses in November and the federal investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Brennan asked if there was a pattern and if Tillis was “comfortable with these actions this close to an election.”
“Well, I think we have to be careful,” Tillis said. “First, you’ve got to take them separately. California has been guilty of ballot harvesting. They have a policy to do it. They have a system there that is ripe for abuse and they need to be looked at.”
The DOJ sued the state earlier this month after giving California officials 48 hours to set aside the ballots of the 20,000 noncitizens to be given to the Department of Homeland Security. The department previously warned that California officials could face legal action if they did not comply, with President Trump claiming they “will all go to jail for a long period of time!!!”
The department reportedly sent letters to every county in the state asking that they identify potential noncitizens on their voter rolls, a task that top federal prosecutor in Southern California, Bill Essayli, called “simple.”
The DOJ’s letters included a list of people federal officials claimed the agency has identified as possible noncitizens who may receive ballots through California’s practice of sending a ballot to every registered voter in the state.
“California does not verify citizenship status. We did the work for them,” Essayli wrote on social media. “We obtained the registered voter list and told them who we believe are noncitizens on their rolls. Knowingly processing noncitizen ballots is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. §§ 611 and 2. We will hold election officials accountable. No one is above the law.”
Last Thursday, the DOJ requested that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals intervene by temporarily blocking the state from counting the ballots. This came days after 28 people accused of not being U.S. citizens were charged in connection with illegally registered votes. These 28 people were alleged by the DOJ to be among the 20,000 noncitizens.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has fired back at the DOJ and Trump, last week accusing the president of “trying to quite literally rig the election.”
“He’s trying to get our voter rolls,” he said at a campaign rally. “You can’t make this stuff up.”
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
Skip to content
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Sunday accused the state of California of being “guilty” of ballot harvesting, claiming that the Golden State has “a system there that is ripe for abuse.”
“Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan asked about the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) legal battle with the state over potential noncitizens on their voter rolls, and the threat of legal consequences if mail-in ballots continue to be sent out.
Along with the DOJ’s preemptive lawsuit against Alaska to block certifying its votes if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses in November and the federal investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Brennan asked if there was a pattern and if Tillis was “comfortable with these actions this close to an election.”
“Well, I think we have to be careful,” Tillis said. “First, you’ve got to take them separately. California has been guilty of ballot harvesting. They have a policy to do it. They have a system there that is ripe for abuse and they need to be looked at.”
The DOJ sued the state earlier this month after giving California officials 48 hours to set aside the ballots of the 20,000 noncitizens to be given to the Department of Homeland Security. The department previously warned that California officials could face legal action if they did not comply, with President Trump claiming they “will all go to jail for a long period of time!!!”
The department reportedly sent letters to every county in the state asking that they identify potential noncitizens on their voter rolls, a task that top federal prosecutor in Southern California, Bill Essayli, called “simple.”
The DOJ’s letters included a list of people federal officials claimed the agency has identified as possible noncitizens who may receive ballots through California’s practice of sending a ballot to every registered voter in the state.
“California does not verify citizenship status. We did the work for them,” Essayli wrote on social media. “We obtained the registered voter list and told them who we believe are noncitizens on their rolls. Knowingly processing noncitizen ballots is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. §§ 611 and 2. We will hold election officials accountable. No one is above the law.”
Last Thursday, the DOJ requested that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals intervene by temporarily blocking the state from counting the ballots. This came days after 28 people accused of not being U.S. citizens were charged in connection with illegally registered votes. These 28 people were alleged by the DOJ to be among the 20,000 noncitizens.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has fired back at the DOJ and Trump, last week accusing the president of “trying to quite literally rig the election.”
“He’s trying to get our voter rolls,” he said at a campaign rally. “You can’t make this stuff up.”
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
- Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Sunday accused the state of California of being "guilty" of ballot harvesting, claiming that the Golden State has "a system there that is ripe for…