Trump officials abandon effort to investigate election threats, experts warn
Credible threats appear to have been overlooked as administration focuses on unverified claims of voter fraud The Trump administration has abandoned key security bodies meant to investigate direct threats to US elections by foreign actors and domestic terrorists, according to former officials and a recent report. While administration officials have been actively focused on unsubstantiated claims…
The Trump administration has abandoned key security bodies tasked with investigating threats to US elections, according to former officials and a recent report. While officials have been focused on unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud, other credible election threats appear to have been overlooked. Between 2021 and 2024, the justice department's election threats taskforce prosecuted 21 cases, including those of Solomon Peña and Quintez Brown, but no new cases have been prosecuted since then.
The taskforce seems to have gone quiet, and federal deterrents meant to punish those making threats appear to have disappeared. The department of justice has instead focused on unverified claims of voter fraud, charging over 90 people with election fraud offenses during the Trump administration, compared to 13 cases under the Biden administration.
The administration's priorities have shifted to allegations of foreign influence on elections, with Trump officials seizing election equipment and seizing ballots in Fulton county, Georgia, in January.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian US's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
