Chad Bianco, the Riverside county sheriff, has halted a contentious investigation into a alleged voter fraud that has drawn opposition from the state’s attorney general.
The move marks a major reversal for Bianco, a prominent Donald Trump supporter who is one of the top two Republican candidates running for the governorship of California.
“We are on hold because of the politically motivated lawsuits and court filings,” Bianco said in a statement, according to ABC 10 News.
Bianco has spearheaded a lone wolf investigation for months into allegations that votes were unlawfully cast in last year’s election that resulted in the passage of Proposition 50.
The proposition, championed by Gavin Newsom, the governor, allowed the state to gerrymander congressional districts in favor of Democrats, in response to similar changes in Republican-dominated states such as Texas.
