Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Friday that a Compton city councilmember and five others have been accused of obtaining fraudulent votes in a local election earlier this year. That election was ultimately decided by a single vote.
Isaac Galvan, 34, was one of six people arrested Friday and charged with felony conspiracy to commit election fraud connected to a June 2021 city council runoff race, according to a criminal complaint filed by Gascón’s office.
Prosecutors alleged Galvan worked with a primary opponent, Jace Dawson, to direct individuals residing outside Compton to vote in an election for the District 2 city council seat. Galvan was the incumbent.
The race was swung by at least three ballots identified by investigators as improperly cast by non-Compton residents. Galvan won the seat with 855 votes, while his challenger, Andre Spicer, received 854.
According to the complaint, Galvan allegedly suggested to Dawson he would get a job with the council in exchange for his help in swinging the race. In May, Dawson was approved for a job as a city liaison by a three to one council vote, with Galvan voting in favor.
Charged alongside Galvan and Dawson were Kimberly Chaouch, 48; Barry Reed, 61; Toni Morris, 34 and Reginald Streeter, 51.
According to the complaint, “at Dawson’s behest,” Chaouch, Morris, Reed and Streeter allegedly registered to vote in the District 2 election despite not being residents of Compton. They did so at Dawson’s apartment. All four then proceeded to vote in the election for Galvan.
Galvan additionally faces a charge of bribery after going to the L.A. County Registrar’s office in June to observe the ballot count. There, he allegedly offered a registrar employee concert tickets in an effort to influence the results of the election.
This is not the first allegation of impropriety cast in Galvan’s direction. In Nov. 2020, federal authorities searched his home in connection with an investigation into improper cannabis retail licensing practices, according to The Los Angeles Times. He was also subpoenaed to testify in grand jury proceedings that resulted in corruption and bribery charges brought against former Maywood Mayor Ramon Medina in February.
Galvan was first voted onto the Compton City Council in 2013, and at the time was both the first Latino elected to the body and the youngest councilmember to serve in the city’s 125 year history.
Jace Dawson has also weathered accusations of misconduct. L.A. political operatives have publicly questioned the validity of his resume, alleging that he has lied about being from Compton, holding a doctoral degree, and having previously worked for former President Barack Obama and on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.
The Stonewall Democratic Club, which initially endorsed Dawson in his primary run for Compton City Council, withdrew that endorsement after allegations that the candidate falsified information on his endorsement application.
“The Stonewall Democratic Club provided him with an opportunity to response and provide exculpatory evidence,” Jonathan Welch, a vice president for communications with the club said in a statement to KNX. “Mr. Dawson declined. Accordingly, Stonewall voted unanimously to rescind our endorsement.”
The D.A.’s office is continuing to investigate the case. Galvan and Dawson are scheduled for arraignment today in county court in Downtown Los Angeles.
“We must do everything in our power to protect the integrity of the electorate [sic] process and to ensure that elections are free and fair,” Gascón said in a statement. “The people of Los Angeles County expert and deserve a government that is free of political corruption at every level.
To read the full complaint, click here.