Fact Check: Did DOJ accuse Newsom and Pelosi of obstructing an election rigging probe?
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: Amid the allegations surrounding election rigging in California, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that the Department of Justice has accused California Governor Gavin Newsom and Rep Nancy Pelosi of obstructing probes related to the rigging, sparking speculation. Let us fact-check the claim.
Claim: DOJ accused Gavin Newsom and Nancy Pelosi of obstructing election rigging probe
According to the viral claim, the DOJ said there's never been as much obstruction of a federal investigation as they're seeing from the "Leadership" of California.
The post alleges that Newsom and former House Speaker Pelosi are wielding their enormous power and influence to keep investigators from the US Attorney's Office away from the vote counting.
"They're in secret rooms, with nobody watching, adding God knows how many mail-in ballots to fill the gaps they need to win," Attorney General Todd Blance allegedly said.
He allegedly stated that he would not rule out prosecuting public officials for obstruction of justice if President Donald Trump asked him to consider it.
Fact Check: The claim originated as parody
The rumor, however, is false, as there is no evidence to support the claim, such as official statements or announcements from the department.
A search on Google for the keywords ‘Newsom and Pelosi of obstructing investigation,’ ‘California election rigging investigation,’ and for the Attorney General’s remarks yielded no results.
There are also no relevant reports by prominent news media outlets about the claim, which, if true, will not go unreported.
Moreover, the claim originated from a parody account called ‘America’s Last Line Of Defense,’ which describes itself in the bio, ‘Nothing on this page is real.’
Donald Trump claims California's slow vote count is 'rigged'
The claim surfaced after Trump blasted California’s slow primary vote count as "rigged" during a campaign-style stop in Wisconsin.
“Can you imagine?” Trump asked the room. “It’s four days, and they still aren’t even close to telling you who won. You know why? Because they’re rigging the election, that’s why.”
“I’m not a big fan of Spain, to be honest with you; it’s gone very far left, but they had an election,” he said. “Similar size to the state of California, a little larger, actually, and every vote was in by 10 o’clock in the evening and counted.”
“It’s a crooked state; we have crooked third-world elections in a lot of our states, and we should pass our Save America Act,” the President added.
