Marina del Rey woman faces sentencing for paying homeless individuals on Skid Row to register to vote.
A woman from Los Angeles County, who has extensive experience as a signature collector for various ballot initiatives, is set to face sentencing on Monday for her involvement in a scheme that entailed paying homeless individuals in the Skid Row area between and to register to vote. Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, 64, of Marina del Rey, entered a guilty plea in June to a federal charge of paying another person to register to vote, a crime that carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.
Armstrong’s plea agreement illustrates her long-standing role in collecting signatures as a “petition circulator.” For nearly two decades, she was contracted by coordinators to gather voter signatures on official petitions necessary for qualifying initiatives, referendums, and recalls to appear on California state ballots. Prosecutors have indicated that Armstrong traversed the Los Angeles area to locate registered voters willing to endorse the petitions she carried.
Upon gathering sufficient signatures, Armstrong returned these to her coordinators, who compensated her based on the number of valid signatures obtained. The remuneration varied depending on the specific initiative being promoted. Notably, her coordinators would only disburse funds for signatures associated with registered voters, which prompted Armstrong to ensure that the individuals she approached were indeed on the rolls.
Armstrong identified Skid Row as a prime location for her activities, as the area has a high density of individuals willing to sign petitions in exchange for cash. Prosecutors assert that Armstrong frequently compensated homeless individuals in amounts ranging from to for their signatures.
Federal authorities have underscored the seriousness of such actions, with Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stating that false registrations erode public trust in the electoral process, especially when accompanied by financial incentives. The Justice Department has emphasized its commitment to maintaining the integrity of elections, ensuring that all Americans can trust the outcomes.
Additionally, the case has gained media attention following the release of a video by conservative commentator James O’Keefe that purportedly shows a woman distributing cash to a homeless individual. O’Keefe claimed that the content of his video played a role in prompting the charges against Armstrong.
As the sentencing approaches, the implications of Armstrong’s actions continue to resonate within discussions on electoral integrity and the ethical boundaries of signature collection practices in the United States.
