Posting on X, Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Spencer Pratt accused LA Mayor Karen Bass, against whom he is running, of having violated election law in California by campaigning near a polling station. He announced that his legal team had filed charges to take her down over the scandal.
Such came on May 26, just days before the June 2 election, the results of which are still being tabulated. His May 26 post was sparked by a May 24 event conducted by Karen Bass, where she held an event just outside a polling place. Releasing the video on X, Bass said, “You can drop off your ballot at voting centers and drop boxes throughout the city. Voting early is easy, even Babies for Bass agree!”
The video showed her clearly conducting a campaign event just outside the polling place, which is illegal in the Golden State. Under Election Code 319.5, California law prohibits “electioneering” within 100 feet of a polling place or “an outdoor site, including a curbside voting area, at which a voter may cast or drop off a ballot.” Such is what she filmed herself doing.
Pratt called her out for it in a post on X. Beginning it, he wrote, “Karen Bass just violated election law here. She is so accustomed to breaking the law with no accountability, she even filmed herself doing it. Well, those days are over. We just filed a formal complaint for illegally gaming the election. We must protect our democracy.”
Continuing, he noted that what she had done was clearly illegal, and shows her reckless disregard for the laws of the land. “Electioneering within 100 feet of a ballot box is AGAINST THE LAW. Soliciting votes at a ballot box is AGAINST THE LAW. These clear violations show a reckless disregard for the rule of law and our democratic process,” he said.
Adding to that, he compared her obvious unconcern with the illegality of her actions with the mafia, saying, “Someone in a position of power should be especially respectful of our democratic laws, but this is just emblematic of Karen’s mafia-like regime. It’s ‘rules for thee, but not for me’.”
He then revealed that his team had filed a formal complaint over her behavior, and included a copy of it. He said, concluding the post, “Here is the formal complaint we filed this morning. We will uphold the rule of law and our democratic norms. Enjoy your conference calls with your lawyers, Karen!”
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In the complaint itself, as shared in the post, Pratt’s lawyer wrote, “Here, as evidenced in her own social media posts, Karen Bass has violated the law by soliciting votes, holding signs asking voters to vote for her, describing the qualifications/ process of casting a ballot, and engaging in blatant electioneering directly near a polling place and drop box location.”
He continued, “Due to the fact that ballots are already being cast during Early Voting, Election Day should be broadly construed here. Indeed, it isn’t just a matter of Karen Bass being too close, but rather that she shows herself and others directly submitting her ballots into drop boxes all while electioneering, soliciting votes and promoting such activity all over social media. Such clear violations of electioneering restrictions show a reckless disregard for the rule of law and an apparent belief that she need not comply with relevant restrictions that apply to all other candidates.”
He concluded, demanding the law be enforced, “This sort of activity in such close proximity to voters has the potential to intimidate and improperly influence voters; which is exactly why these laws and restrictions are in place to begin with. What good are these provisions if not enforced? Angelenos deserve better and we respectfully insist that you not only investigate these clear violations or the law, but prosecute these infractions to the furthest degree.”
Watch Bass here: