The facts
On Thursday, September 10, 2026, FBI Director Kash Patel posted that the bureau arrested a subject near Los Angeles for allegedly paying homeless people on Skid Row to sign petitions using stolen identities of registered voters. Two other circulators were charged. All three face conspiracy to commit identity fraud in furtherance of a state felony, among other counts.
The Los Angeles Times named James Brass, 47, also called “Lord,” of San Bernardino County, plus Jateisha Herron, 33, of Boron, and Courtney Price, 49, of Jacksonville, Florida. Prosecutors say from February to August they used a voter database, handed the names to people on Skid Row, and paid them to copy the information onto ballot petitions. Fox reported Brass was paid about $41,600 from one petition management company. These are charges. They have not been convicted.
Our take
This is the story polite California will not put in the lede: they farmed signatures off a sidewalk full of people who will sign anything for a few bucks, using other people’s names, to put law on a ballot.
You can call it alleged. You should. You can also stop pretending Skid Row is a community garden. It is a human landfill next to a financial district, and signature harvesters treat it like a vending machine. If your politics need that machine, your politics are a scam.
Patel wrote, “If you mess with our elections, this FBI will find you.” Cute. The question is how long this shit ran before anybody with a badge gave a fuck.
