--- title: "DOJ charges five in election cases across three states" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/doj-charges-five-in-election-cases-across-three-states" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/doj-charges-five-in-election-cases-across-three-states" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/doj-charges-five-in-election-cases-across-three-states.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/doj-charges-five-in-election-cases-across-three-states" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-05T23:46:08.803Z" source_reported: "2026-09-05T19:55:11.000Z" updated: "2026-09-05T23:46:08.803Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 61 hype_score: 61 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-05T20:18:08.478Z" --- # DOJ charges five in election cases across three states *Charges include illegal voting and fraudulent registration in 2022 and 2024 elections.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to the Justice Department, but key facts are hedged with "allegedly" and "accused of". - Craft 61 of 100, higher is better. The report includes quotes from officials, details specific charges, and mentions what happens next. - Hype 61 of 100, lower is better. The headline promises charges in multiple states, but the article focuses heavily on one case and uses loaded language. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The Justice Department announced charges against five individuals in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin for election-related offenses. - The charges involve allegations of illegal voting and fraudulent registration spanning the November 2022 general election, the June 2024 primary, and the November 2024 general election. - Four of the defendants are accused of voting as noncitizens, and one U.S. citizen is accused of assisting his wife in registering and voting. - One of the Pennsylvania defendants, Katya Rodriguez, was shown in arrest footage released by Fox News Politics. The Justice Department has filed election-related charges against five people across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. These allegations, concerning conduct during the November 2022 general election, the June 2024 primary, and the November 2024 general election, were announced together by federal prosecutors. The defendants include four noncitizens accused of casting ballots and one U.S. citizen accused of helping his wife register and vote. In Pennsylvania, Thomas Holtzman and Marisol Guzman were charged. Guzman is accused of voting as an alien in the 2024 election, while Holtzman, a U.S. citizen, is accused of making a false citizenship statement and aiding fraudulent registration. A separate indictment charged Katya Rodriguez with making a false citizenship statement to vote, fraudulent registration, and voting as an alien in the 2024 election. Fox News Politics released footage of federal agents taking Rodriguez into custody. In New Jersey, Mercedes Alexandra Cardoso was charged with voting by an alien in a federal election. Prosecutors allege she registered online and falsely certified her U.S. citizenship, having entered the country from Ecuador on a B-2 visa. In Wisconsin, Jesus Javier Jurado Garcia was charged with voting as an alien in the November 2022 election, allegedly knowing he was not a U.S. citizen at the time. ## Coverage Disagreements The reports differ on the specific election cycles for which the Pennsylvania defendants are charged. 100 Percent Fed Up! states that Guzman is accused of voting in the 2024 election and Holtzman of aiding fraudulent registration. The same report states Rodriguez is accused of voting as an alien in the 2024 election. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports below mention the specific U.S. Attorney's Offices or the investigative agencies involved in the cases, such as HSI, the FBI, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, as detailed in the verified claims. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 14% (1) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 86% (6) 1 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-05T20:18:08.478Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-06T01:45:21.788Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - The right-rated report from 100 Percent Fed Up! led with the headline "DOJ Charges Five in Election Cases Across Three States as Arrest Footage Emerges." The report detailed the charges against the five individuals, including four noncitizens accused of voting and one U.S. citizen accused of aiding fraudulent registration. It highlighted the inclusion of arrest footage of Katya Rodriguez, a Pennsylvania defendant, released by Fox News Politics. The report quoted U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on the importance of election integrity and FBI Director Kash Patel on the cases representing alleged unlawful votes. It also noted the maximum potential penalties for the defendants. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - low: 3 - mixed: 1 - high: 1 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [100% FED UP!](https://100percentfedup.com/doj-charges-five-electionses-across-three-states) — DOJ Charges Five in Election Cases Across Three States as Arrest Footage Emerges - [American Wire News](https://americanwirenews.com/doj-charges-5-with-illegal-voting-in-several-states-ahead-of-midterms) — Trump DOJ charges 5 with illegal voting in several states ahead of midterms - [Bizpac Review](https://bizpacreview.com/2026/09/05/trump-doj-charges-5-with-illegal-voting-in-several-states-ahead-of-midterms-1657800) — Trump DOJ charges 5 with illegal voting in several states ahead of midterms - [WLTReport](https://wltreport.com/2026/09/05/doj-charges-five-election-cases-three-states-arrest-footage) — DOJ Charges Five in Election Cases Across Three States as Arrest Footage Emerges - [Moncloa](https://moncloa.com/2026/09/05/doj-trump-voto-ilegal-inmigrantes-3426510) — Trump's DOJ Accuses Two Undocumented Immigrants and Three Other People in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Wisconsin of Illegal Voting - [The Gateway Pundit](https://thegatewaypundit.com/2026/09/trump-doj-charges-five-illegal-voting-pennsylvania-new) — Trump DOJ Charges FIVE for Illegal Voting in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Wisconsin — Including Two Illegal Aliens from Mexico in Key Swing States - [Washington Examiner](https://washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/4714638/doj-charge-illegal-voter-pennsylvania-new-jersey-wisconsin) — DOJ charges illegal voters from three states in 2022 and 2024 elections - [Pennsylvania Capital-Star](https://penncapital-star.com/election-2026/department-of-justice-charges-5-in-pennsylvania-wisconsin-and-new-jersey-with-crimes-related-to-noncitizen-voting) — Department of Justice charges 5 in Pa., Wisconsin, and NJ with crimes related to noncitizen voting ## Questions **How many people were charged in the election cases?** The Justice Department has filed election-related charges against five individuals. These charges span across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin, involving allegations of illegal voting and fraudulent registration in recent elections. **What are the main allegations against the defendants?** The defendants face allegations of illegal voting and fraudulent registration. Four of the individuals are accused of voting as noncitizens, while one U.S. citizen is accused of assisting his wife in registering and voting illegally. **Which elections are covered by these charges?** The charges relate to voting and registration activities during the November 2022 general election, the June 2024 primary election, and the upcoming November 2024 general election. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/doj-charges-five-in-election-cases-across-three-states. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "DOJ charges five in election cases across three states", https://mediabias.news/politics/doj-charges-five-in-election-cases-across-three-states