A newly released undercover video is prompting calls for arrests in California after allegations surfaced of cash being exchanged for petition signatures and voter registrations in Los Angeles.
Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to the footage by urging enforcement of state law. “This alleged activity is a felony in California. Anyone caught engaging in this activity should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Brandon Richards, deputy director for rapid response.
The video, released by O’Keefe Media Group and led by James O’Keefe, shows undercover journalists posing as homeless individuals in the Skid Row area. The footage claims to capture 28 separate instances of petition circulators offering incentives such as cash, cigarettes, and marijuana in exchange for signatures.
In multiple clips, individuals appear to be encouraged to provide false information. “Oh, you can just fake an address,” one person is heard saying. Another adds, “You can just put Pinocchio Lane.”
The investigation alleges that some circulators were paid per signature and could earn significant sums daily. “$7 a signature, $5 a signature, $10 a signature,” one person says in the video.
The report also identifies activity near facilities connected to the Weingart Center, where individuals were allegedly directed to petition circulators. One recorded exchange states: “Most time they be right across the street, under that tree… Monday through Friday.”
In another clip, a person appears to advise how to respond if questioned. “See they say ignorance is no excuse for the law. But a lot of times, I have to say ‘I didn’t know, I had no idea.’”
The video further claims involvement by Populus Inc. in circulating petitions tied to ballot initiatives, some of which were backed by major corporations including Uber and Delta Air Lines.
Federal law prohibits paying individuals to register to vote or sign petitions, and California law similarly bans offering compensation for such activities.
The footage also claims that officers with the Los Angeles Police Department did not intervene.
