A 64-year-old woman admitted to violating election laws by paying homeless individuals on Los Angeles’ Skid Row to register as voters. Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, known as “Anika,” has agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of inducing others to register to vote through cash payments.
According to a press release from the U.S., Armstrong worked as a paid petition signature gatherer for about two decades. She regularly paid and offered to pay individuals cash—typically between $2 and $3—to sign her petitions. To circumvent registration barriers, she had homeless people list her previous address as their residence when completing voter registrations.
Prosecutors stated that Armstrong would drive through Los Angeles neighborhoods, targeting registered voters for signatures while receiving payment per completed request. Her actions directly violated California election laws, with DOJ Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon calling the case critical evidence of “how it is under California law to corrupt the state’s voter rolls and thereby corrupt the state and federal elections administered by the state.”
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli noted that independent journalism from James O’Keefe helped identify Armstrong and corroborate her activities. The DOJ emphasized that such practices “undermine Americans’ faith in elections” and warned that ballot box corruption poses a threat to democratic integrity.
Armstrong faces up to five years in federal prison for the felony charge, which carries statutory penalties under California law. Dhillon added, “This Justice Department is committed to ensuring that all U.S. elections are fair and free from illegal meddling.”
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