Justice Department Charges 28 in California Voting Probe

Federal authorities said Monday they had charged 28 California residents in a statewide operation alleging unlawful voter registration or voting by noncitizens. The Justice Department said 11 of the people had been arrested as of Monday; the allegations have not been adjudicated. All 28 are lawful permanent residents, not U.S. citizens, officials said. The charges include illegally registering to vote or casting ballots in federal elections, as well as, in some cases, making false statements on naturalization paperwork. Federal authorities said 21 of those charged were suspected of actually voting, some in multiple elections. The cases, announced under the name Operation Protect the Vote, come amid a separate legal dispute over roughly 20,000 people the Justice Department considers likely noncitizens. The department has asked a federal court to require California to set aside ballots associated with those names before the November 3 election and verify the voters’ citizenship before counting the ballots. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has disputed the federal government’s evidence for the list, saying it has not provided enough information to establish that the...