An undercover report by City Journal says staff at the Committee for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, known as CHIRLA, gave voters specific candidate endorsements while helping them fill out ballots at an official Los Angeles County “flex vote center” hosted at the nonprofit’s headquarters near downtown Los Angeles.
According to the report, City Journal reporters visited the site, which contained Smartmatic voting tablets and a ballot drop box, and were given a state-issued voter guide by a staff member. A man in a CHIRLA polo shirt, identified by the outlet as an employee of the organization, then took them into a separate room and went through their ballot line by line.
“Starting with here, the city, we’ve endorsed Karen Bass,” the employee reportedly said, pointing to the incumbent mayor’s name. “For the city attorney, we’ve endorsed Marissa Roy.” The employee also recommended Xavier Becerra for governor and Rob Bonta for attorney general, according to the report, describing Bonta as “very supportive.” The employee reportedly told the reporters they were “free to vote” for other candidates.
California law bars electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place entrance, including photographing or recording voters entering, exiting or casting ballots. Separately, video circulated showing CHIRLA staff photographing and recording voters at the same flex vote center.
CHIRLA has previously said it received more than $100 million in taxpayer funding, according to the City Journal report. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, a tax status that generally restricts political campaign activity.
In response to the report, CHIRLA said: “Our Civic Engagement staff are trained to give every voter who asks for assistance clear, accurate guidance. This is yet another example of the dirty, underhanded tactics anti-immigrant opponents have used to target CHIRLA because of who we are.”
CHIRLA has been involved in legal challenges against the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security and has been active in opposition to immigration enforcement actions in Southern California.
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