Cash for Ballots Part I: Alleged Voter Fraud Caught on Tape in Los Angeles

In this video, Nick Shirley presents an undercover investigation into what he alleges is systematic voter fraud occurring on Los Angeles’s Skid Row. According to Shirley, petition circulators are allegedly paying homeless individuals cash, cigarettes, and drugs in exchange for registering to vote and signing ballot initiative petitions—practices he claims constitute federal crimes.

Shirley alleges that petitioner Brenda Brown hands cash to homeless people not only for signing California ballot initiatives but also specifically for voter registration. According to Shirley, Brown states on tape: “because you haven’t registered I need to register you so I can get paid too. I’m paying you guys I need to get paid.” Shirley claims this violates 52 U.S.C. § 10307, which he alleges makes it a federal felony to pay or offer payment for voter registration. He states his team witnessed and filmed this allegedly occurring at least 28 times over their investigation in Los Angeles alone.

According to Shirley, the homeless individuals being targeted often have no understanding of what they’re signing. He alleges that petitioners instruct homeless people to enter fabricated addresses like “Pinocchio Lane” on petition forms. Shirley contends that these activities occur directly outside homeless shelters and non-profit organizations, including the Weingart Center, which he notes has received hundreds of millions in government funding.

Shirley alleges involvement by employees of organizations serving the homeless. According to the video, a Weingart Center employee allegedly directs undercover investigators to locations where cash exchanges for signatures occur. Another Weingart employee allegedly advises homeless individuals on “plausible deniability” regarding knowledge of the law. Shirley also alleges that an employee of LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority) falsely identified himself as LAPD to intimidate the investigative team, which Shirley claims violates California Penal Code 538D.

Beyond voter registration payments, Shirley documents what he alleges are violations of California Elections Code 18603, which he states makes it illegal to offer cash or valuable consideration for petition signatures. He alleges petition circulators offer $2 to $10 per signature and bribe individuals with cigarettes and marijuana. Shirley notes that according to one petitioner, even offering water to someone signing a petition could constitute voter fraud.

Shirley alleges that petition circulators operate through unregistered pyramid schemes, with Brenda Brown allegedly describing it as a “pyramid game” where she recruits others and takes a percentage of their earnings. He contends many circulators don’t know which organization they work for or who ultimately funds their efforts.

Shirley also documents what he alleges are deceptive petition campaigns. He claims petition circulators allegedly misrepresent petition content to voters, including allegedly telling voters they’re signing petitions to raise minimum wage when the petitions actually seek to overturn minimum wage increases. Shirley alleges this violates California Elections Code 18600, which he states prohibits misrepresentation of ballot petition contents.

According to Shirley, petitions he documents are funded by corporations including Uber, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines to advance their business interests. He alleges these companies pay millions to have circulators gather signatures on petitions that would reduce worker protections and limit legal liability.

Shirley states that law enforcement officers on Skid Row were allegedly unaware these activities constitute crimes, with one LAPD officer allegedly dismissing the conduct as merely a civil matter. He notes that a 2019 Los Angeles District Attorney prosecution involved nine individuals charged with similar crimes, but those cases lacked video evidence.

Shirley concludes by stating he has submitted evidence to the Department of Justice, the IRS, the Governor’s Office, and the LA County District Attorney’s Office. He alleges that on the eve of publication, the LA County District Attorney informed his team they are opening a preliminary review.

In Nick Shirley’s Own Words

“because you haven’t registered I need to register you so I can get paid too. I’m paying you guys I need to get paid.”

“That is a federal felony and it didn’t just happen once it happened over and over and over again.”

“The future is not in institutions but in individuals behaving as a collective.”