California federal prosecutor Bill Essayli faces scrutiny over election lawsuits

Federal prosecutor Bill Essayli has ignited widespread legal and political controversy by seeking to halt the counting of thousands of California ballots in the lead-up to the midterm elections. As the interim United States attorney for the Central District of California, Essayli has engaged his office in a series of politically charged cases aligning with Donald Trump’s agenda, culminating in an aggressive push over alleged voter fraud.

Essayli filed a lawsuit against the state of California aiming to sequester ballots from roughly 20,000 registered voters that the Department of Justice claims are probably not citizens. The legal action demands that election officials verify citizenship status before tallying the votes. State officials have rejected the request, arguing that the federal government's underlying information is flawed, that meeting the timeline is unfeasible, and that the effort risks disenfranchising lawful American voters while destabilizing public confidence. An appeals court issued an initial ruling against the Justice Department's attempt to isolate the ballots.

Alongside the lawsuit, Essayli’s office recently unveiled criminal charges against 13 permanent residents accused of registering to vote unlawfully. In one instance, a 72-year-old was arrested in view of cameras and featured in promotional footage by the department. Essayli has additionally warned local election administrators that certifying ballots from ineligible individuals could lead to criminal liability.

Legal observers and civil liberties groups have voiced alarm over the federal intervention. Former Justice Department attorney Sergio Perez noted that noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare and described Essayli’s actions as an unprecedented and improper effort to suppress turnout on the eve of balloting. Defense attorneys have also criticized Essayli for pursuing cases motivated by politics, pointing out that multiple prosecutions have collapsed under judicial review. Judges have previously reprimanded the office for bad-faith conduct and infringing on constitutional safeguards.

Before his return to the federal prosecutor's office, Essayli served as an assistant US attorney from 2014 to 2018 before winning a seat in the California State Assembly as a Republican in 2022. During his legislative tenure, he became known for confrontational rhetoric against progressive policies, including vocal opposition to transgender girls participating in school athletics.

In April 2025, following Trump's return to the presidency, Essayli was installed as interim US attorney for the Los Angeles-based district, bypassing Senate confirmation. In that role, which oversees about 500 personnel serving an area of 20 million residents, Essayli focused heavily on issues tied to the administration's policy priorities. He initiated dozens of prosecutions against individuals involved in demonstrations protesting immigration crackdowns, though many of those cases were later dropped or ended in acquittals after judges and juries questioned the sufficiency of the evidence.