California Woman Pleads Guilty to Paying Skid Row Residents to Register to Vote

LOS ANGELES — Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, a longtime paid petition circulator, agreed to plead guilty Monday to a federal charge of paying individuals — including homeless people on Los Angeles’ Skid Row — to register to vote.

Armstrong, 64, of Marina del Rey, also known as “Anika,” faces up to five years in prison for the felony count. She is scheduled to formally enter her plea in the coming weeks in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.

According to her plea agreement and the U.S. Department of Justice, Armstrong worked for roughly 20 years as a petition circulator, collecting signatures for ballot initiatives, referendums, and recalls. Prosecutors say she paid people small amounts of cash (typically $2–$3), cigarettes, phone cords, or other incentives to sign voter registration forms. In some cases, she allegedly used her own former Los Angeles address for unhoused individuals who lacked one.

The scheme came to light through undercover investigations and was prosecuted as part of broader federal efforts to combat voter fraud in California. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon emphasized that such payments undermine public confidence in elections.

Armstrong made her initial court appearance Monday afternoon. She has been active in California’s signature-gathering industry for decades, a common paid profession for qualifying ballot measures in the state.

The case highlights ongoing concerns about integrity in voter registration processes, particularly in high-density urban areas with large homeless populations. The Department of Justice continues to pursue similar cases as part of the Trump administration’s focus on election security.