LOS ANGELES – Compton City Councilmember Isaac Galvan and five others were charged today for obtaining fraudulent votes in a June runoff that ultimately was decided by one vote.
“Elections are the cornerstone of our democratic nation. We must do everything in our power to protect the integrity of the electorate process and to ensure that elections are free and fair,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón. “The people of Los Angeles County expect and deserve a government that is free of political corruption at every level.”
Galvan, Jace Dawson Jace Dawson, a 34-year-old former city council candidate; Kimberly Chaouch, 48; Toni Morris, 34; Barry Reed, 61; and Reginald Streeter, 51, were charged with conspiracy to commit election fraud. Galvan also faces one count of attempted bribery with intent to influence an election.
According to the criminal complaint, Galvan and Dawson, a former candidate for the Compton City Council, worked together to secure votes to ensure Galvan would retain his District 2 seat.
Chaouch, Morris, Reed and Streeter were allegedly registered to vote at Dawson’s address in Compton, even though they didn’t live there. All four are charged with voting illegally in the election.
Galvan won the election over challenger, Andre Spicer, 855 to 854. Galvan also is accused of trying to bribe a registrar employee as she was counting ballots on election night.
The case remains under investigation by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office.
The District Attorney’s Office would like to thank the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office for its assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
