Groups behind Soros-backed DA's recall effort submit 123K signatures for verification — only need 73K

The groups behind an effort to recall George Soros-backed, leftist Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced that they submitted 123,000 signatures to election officials on Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The Alameda County Registrar's Office has 10 days to verify the signatures. The groups only need approximately 73,000 verified signatures for a special election, which could be held as early as April or May, KABC-TV reported.

Carl Chan, a leader of the recall and the president of Oakland's Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, said that the effort is "not about politics, but about public safety."

"They said it wasn't going to work, that we don't have the money," Chan remarked. "When there is a will, there is a way, and guess what? We all did it."

Brenda Grisham, another leader of the recall effort, stated, "I have never said it before but I am saying it today: We are going to win."

"We shouldn't have to do this, but for the safety of our community, the safety of our children, the safety of our businesses, this is something that had to be done. This is a right for the citizens of Alameda County," Grisham added.

Save Alameda for Everyone, one of the groups behind the recall effort, formed its committee in July, just seven months into Price's term.

Price ran her election on the promise to radically reform the county's justice system and reduce mass incarceration. She also vowed to end the death penalty, reduce gun violence, and prevent children from being charged as adults.

Multiple veteran prosecutors resigned under Price's leadership. One former Oakland prosecutor claimed the DA's lenient policies prevented her from fulfilling her "legal and ethical duties."

Even the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Oakland branch spoke out against Price last summer, accusing her of creating a crime "doom-loop" through her "progressive policies and failed leadership." The Oakland NAACP called for a state of emergency over the area's rampant crime crisis.

William Fitzgerald, a spokesperson for the Protect the Win campaign for Price, stated that Price would win a recall election.

"Any courthouse, you will see deputies of her office are locking people up and making sure they are accountable for what happened," Fitzgerald said. "The reality is, crime didn't start when DA Price took office, and it is also going to exist long beyond her time here."

"She was elected with 53% of the vote over a year ago despite being hugely outspent by the establishment," he continued. "The truth is, the establishment lost. They're annoyed and they dumped over $2 million on a campaign to oust her."

According to Fitzgerald, the recall attempt against Price is financially backed by "wealthy real estate and venture capitalists" who aim to "undermine democracy."

Protect the Win representatives sent a letter last week to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, urging him to investigate "reports of widespread fraud" by signature gatherers who allegedly misled residents into signing the petition to recall Price, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The recall campaign denied the allegations. It is unclear whether an investigation by the state will be launched.

Price has previously claimed that her position as DA "has really no impact on crime" and called her critics "election deniers."

Many businesses in the Oakland area have recently decided to close up shop due to crime. Denny's announced last month that it would close its only Oakland location after 54 years in business. In-N-Out, Black Bear Diner, Subway, and Starbucks have also announced closures.

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