A longtime Los Angeles County petition circulator has agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge after admitting she paid people, including homeless individuals in downtown Los Angeles, to register to vote.
Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, 64, of Marina del Rey, who also went by the name “Anika,” agreed to plead guilty to one count of paying another person to register to vote, a crime punishable by up to five years in federal prison.
Armstrong is scheduled to make her initial appearance Monday afternoon in federal court in Santa Ana.
According to federal prosecutors, Armstrong spent nearly two decades working as a petition circulator, collecting signatures from registered voters to qualify initiatives, referendums, and recalls for California ballots.
She was paid by coordinators based on the number of valid signatures she gathered from registered voters, with compensation varying depending on the specific ballot measure.
Court documents state that because payment depended on obtaining signatures from registered voters, Armstrong worked to ensure the people signing her petitions were registered or became registered.
Federal authorities allege that Armstrong frequently solicited signatures in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles because of its large concentration of people willing to sign petitions in exchange for cash.
According to her plea agreement, Armstrong regularly paid between $2 and $3 to induce individuals to sign petitions.
Prosecutors also said that when some homeless individuals lacked a permanent address, Armstrong occasionally instructed them to use one of her former Los Angeles addresses on voter registration forms.
Those forms simultaneously registered individuals to vote in both California and federal elections.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli called the case a clear example of voter fraud during a news conference announcing the plea agreement.
“This is not an allegation, this is not a theory, this is an example of admitted voter fraud,” Essayli said.
He added that federal authorities intend to aggressively prosecute election-related crimes.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon also emphasized the significance of the case, saying that false voter registrations undermine public confidence in elections.
Dhillon said the Justice Department remains committed to ensuring elections are conducted fairly and free from illegal interference so Americans can have confidence in the results.
The case also drew attention because of video footage recorded by conservative journalist James O’Keefe.
A video reposted by Real America’s Voice appeared to show a woman handing cash to a homeless individual.
O’Keefe claimed on social media that his investigation contributed to Armstrong being charged earlier this year.
The guilty plea comes as the Justice Department continues a separate legal battle over California’s voter registration records.
Federal officials have sued California Secretary of State Shirley Weber seeking access to the state’s unredacted voter file, including names, addresses, driver’s license numbers and portions of Social Security numbers.
The Justice Department argues it is entitled to the information under provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act.
A federal judge in Santa Ana dismissed the lawsuit in January after determining that releasing the information would violate federal privacy protections.
State officials also argued that the Trump administration sought the records to assist with immigration enforcement rather than election oversight.
The Justice Department has appealed that decision.
Arguments in the appeal are scheduled before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena.
While the appeal proceeds separately, Armstrong’s guilty plea represents one of the highest-profile federal voter fraud prosecutions involving petition circulation in California in recent years.
The case has already become a focal point in the broader debate over election integrity and voter registration practices, The Associated Press reported.
If accepted by the court, Armstrong’s plea would resolve the criminal charge while leaving sentencing to be determined at a later date.
Federal prosecutors have not indicated whether additional individuals connected to the alleged scheme could face charges as the investigation continues.
