Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has halted his office’s investigation into alleged inconsistencies in last November’s special election on redistricting over legal challenges from California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a voting rights group.

Bianco, who is currently a leading Republican candidate for governor in 2026, said in a statement to The Epoch Times that his office placed the probe “on hold because of the politically motivated lawsuits and court filings.”

Bianco started the investigation after a local citizens group raised concerns over ballot counts in last year’s special election on Proposition 50, the Election Rigging Response Act, a proposed amendment to California’s constitution passed by voters in a special election ballot on Nov. 4, 2025.

The group claimed there had been discrepancies between the number of ballots received and the certified vote totals. Last month, election officials informed the county Board of Supervisors that the claims were not backed by evidence.

Bianco’s office procured court warrants and seized in March more than 650,000 ballots and associated materials from county election offices. He called the action a legitimate enforcement inquiry into potential asymmetries.

“Investigations into irregularities must happen so that the public can have full confidence,” he said in a March 22 post on X.

Bonta and the UCLA Voting Rights Project pursued litigation last week, alleging that the sheriff has no authority over voted ballots as state law calls for them to stay in the custody of election officials.

“Our election law is clear that voted ballots are to remain in the custody of election officials, and nothing the sheriff has presented changes that basic rule,” Sonni Waknin, an attorney with the UCLA Voting Rights Project, said in a statement.

Bonta’s office sent a letter directing Bianco to cease his investigatory efforts. The office has also pursued petitions in superior court and the California Supreme Court.

Bianco had persisted with his investigation regardless of the warnings, seizing more boxes of ballots just last week. A Riverside County judge had approved the warrants, the sheriff stated.

The pause is provisional, awaiting court clarification on jurisdictional matters. Bianco’s office stated in a court filing that the investigation “will not proceed until the court addresses the jurisdictional rights and responsibilities of the courts, the Attorney General, and the Sheriff.”

The filing noted that the seized evidence is still in the protective custody of the sheriff department.

At a press conference on the investigation March 20, Bianco highlighted a February University of California–San Diego study that said approximately 40 percent of Californians distrust election systems.

“What does sow mistrust in our system is failing to conduct an investigation—or worse, attempting to stop or interfere with a lawful investigation, to sweep it under the rug so evidence can possibly be destroyed,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.