A girl from Marina Del Ray has admitted to illegally paying homeless folks on Skid Row to register to vote in what prosecutors say is a 20-year scheme tied to unlawful petition signature assortment.
On a number of events, she even let homeless folks use her personal tackle to register, that means mail-in ballots might be despatched to her dwelling, a plea settlement obtained by The California Submit states.
Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, 64, often known as “Anika,” took a plea deal for one felony rely of paying one other particular person to register to vote in a federal election, prosecutors introduced Monday.
The cost carries a most sentence of 5 years in jail.
“False registrations undermine People’ religion in elections – much more so when payoffs are concerned,” stated Assistant Legal professional Basic Harmeet Ok. Dhillon in a press release. “This Justice Division is dedicated to making sure that every one U.S. elections are truthful and free from unlawful meddling – so that every one People can settle for the outcomes with confidence.”
Prosecutors allege Armstrong focused Skid Row due to its dense homeless inhabitants and frequently supplied money funds — sometimes between $2 and $3 — to influence folks to signal petitions.
The case facilities partly on an incident that allegedly occurred on Jan. 30, 2026, when Armstrong knowingly paid one other particular person for the aim of getting them to register to vote in federal elections. The cost ranged from cash or cigarettes, and cellphone cords, in keeping with the plea settlement reviewed by the California Submit.
Armstrong labored for roughly 20 years as a paid petition circulator, gathering signatures for California poll initiatives, recollects and referendums throughout the Los Angeles space, in keeping with the Division of Justice.
Previous to 2025, authorities say Anika expanded the operation by additionally paying people to finish voter registration types.
A video shot by conservative media determine James O’Keefe and reposted by an account referred to as “Actual America’s Voice” exhibits a lady handing money to a homeless particular person.
“Now since you haven’t registered, I have to register you so I can receives a commission too. I’m paying you guys, I have to receives a commission,” the girl, who seems to be Anika, says within the video.
The video alleges the girl was caught on digicam no less than 28 occasions.
California election regulation permits homeless folks to legally vote in the event that they meet customary necessities, together with citizenship, residency and age.
Homeless voters might register utilizing a shelter, park, cross streets or one other location the place they frequently keep, even when they don’t have a conventional residential tackle, in keeping with the California Secretary of State.
“On a number of events, Armstrong offered a homeless particular person together with her personal former tackle in Los Angeles so that they had one thing to write down on the registration type,” in keeping with the press launch.
As a result of California robotically mails ballots to registered voters, prosecutors stated the registrations created the chance that ballots might be despatched to Armstrong’s tackle as a substitute of to the homeless individuals who registered to vote.
Armstrong is ready to seem Monday morning in United States District Court docket in Santa Ana for her preliminary listening to and is anticipated to formally plead responsible within the weeks forward.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Legal professional’s Workplace for the Central District of California.
The first election is scheduled for June 2, with mail-in poll voting already underway, and the overall election set for November.
