Marina del Rey Woman Charged with Federal Crime for Paying Skid Row Homeless to Register to Vote
- Rex Ballard
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
A longtime California petition signature gatherer has been federally charged—and has agreed to plead guilty—for paying homeless individuals on Los Angeles’ Skid Row to register to vote, a scheme first captured on undercover video by independent journalist James O’Keefe and his team.
Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, 64, also known as “Anika,” of Marina del Rey, faces one felony count of paying another person to register to vote. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. She has agreed to plead guilty and is expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Armstrong worked for approximately 20 years as a petition circulator, collecting signatures for ballot initiatives, referendums, and recalls. Coordinators paid her per valid signature from registered voters. To boost her earnings, she frequently targeted Skid Row—an area with a high concentration of homeless individuals willing to participate for small payments.
Prosecutors say Armstrong paid people $2 to $3 (sometimes offering cigarettes or phone cards) not only to sign petitions but also to complete voter registration forms. She reportedly supplied stacks of forms from the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters and, in some cases, instructed individuals without addresses to use her former Los Angeles residence. Because California automatically mails ballots to all registered voters, this raised concerns about potential misuse of vote-by-mail ballots.
The investigation was triggered by undercover footage released by O’Keefe Media Group (OMG) earlier this year, showing Armstrong and others engaging in these practices on Skid Row.
The Original Undercover Video
In the widely circulated video series “CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS FRAUD CASH FOR BALLOTS,” O’Keefe’s team posed as individuals on Skid Row and documented multiple instances of petitioners offering cash and incentives for signatures and registrations. One clip explicitly features a woman (identified in reports as matching Armstrong’s activities) handing money to a homeless person while discussing registration.
James O'Keefe's Video on X
DOJ Response and Broader Implications
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon stated: “False registrations undermine Americans’ faith in elections – even more so when payoffs are involved. This Justice Department is committed to ensuring that all U.S. elections are fair and free from illegal meddling.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office officials noted that the video evidence prompted the FBI investigation. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli emphasized the case as part of efforts to protect election integrity.
Armstrong’s activities allegedly exploited vulnerable homeless populations while potentially compromising voter rolls with false or incentivized registrations. Federal law prohibits paying individuals to register to vote.
This case comes amid heightened national scrutiny of election processes in California, particularly regarding signature gathering, homeless voter registration, and ballot integrity.
Shasta Unfiltered will continue to monitor developments, including Armstrong’s sentencing and any related investigations. This story underscores ongoing challenges in maintaining clean elections while protecting the rights of all citizens, including those experiencing homelessness.
Sources include official DOJ press release, CBS Los Angeles, Fox News, Los Angeles Times, and O’Keefe Media Group footage.
