County declines to pay to defend Sheriff Bianco in legal battles over ballot seizure investigation

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) - Riverside County will not be picking up the tab in the legal battle over Sheriff Chad Bianco's ballot investigation.

The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday to decline to hire or pay outside counsel to defend Bianco in four lawsuits tied to his ballot seizure investigation.

The investigation — where deputies seized more than 650,000 ballots from the November 2025 Proposition 50 special election — has already been put on hold by the California Supreme Court.

The entire discussion happened in closed session. The board did not explain its reasoning

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