5 Filipinos in California charged with illegal voting

MANILA, Philippines — Five Filipinos in California were among the 63 people charged in connection with illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration and related election crimes, the United States Department of Justice said Tuesday (Manila time).

The US justice department said the cases include voting by aliens in federal elections, false claims of US citizenship to register or to vote and fraudulent submission of a voter registration application in another state.

“Today’s announcement marks the largest surge of voter-fraud arrests since President Trump returned to office,” said General Todd Blanche.

“These foreign nationals allegedly took advantage of the trust of the American people and flouted the laws that govern our nation’s elections. This Department of Justice will continue investigating and prosecuting voter fraud to restore confidence in our electoral system,” he said.

The identities of the five Filipinos were not revealed.

The foreign nationals charged are lawful permanent residents (LPRs), or green card holders. Although LPRs have legal immigration status in the US, they are not US citizens and are not permitted to vote in US elections.