Senator Reverend Warnock pressed top security officials for more answers on foreign interference in the 2024 elections

The letter highlights false bomb threats on election day, appearing to originate from Russian email domains that targeted at least 60 polling places across the country

Senators Reverend Warnock, lawmakers: “The right to vote is a sacred cornerstone of our democracy. It is unacceptable that any foreign actor interferes, or attempts to interfere with this right”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and nine of his Senate colleagues pressed Directors of three U.S. security agencies to issue a briefing and provide a report on potential interference during the 2024 presidential election.

“The right to vote is a sacred cornerstone of our democracy. It is unacceptable that any foreign actor interferes, or attempts to interfere, with this right. In the weeks preceding the November 5, 2024 elections, numerous U.S. officials documented efforts by foreign actors to spread misinformation and disinformation through online channels to undermine faith in the democratic process. Foreign actors also attempted to target and hack both Presidential campaigns,” wrote the Senators.

The letter was addressed to the National Intelligence Director Avril Danica Haines (ODNI), Director Jen Easterly of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher A. Wray (FBI).

“While we do not question the final outcome of the election, any foreign interference in our elections is an attack on the foundations of our republic. That is particularly true of efforts to directly prevent eligible Americans from casting a ballot,” the Senators continued.

“Online disinformation intended to sow doubt about election integrity is alarming enough. That foreign actors would take direct steps to shut down polling locations on Election Day is a new and deeply concerning escalation, and it must not stand. No voter should ever be turned away from a polling booth because a foreign actor falsely reported a bomb threat. A failure to respond to these egregious actions will only embolden foreign actors and invite more severe activity in future elections,” the lawmakers concluded.

A longtime advocate to protect the sacred right to vote, Senator Warnock has led several efforts to both decrease instances of voter suppression and increase election security. Senator Warnock is one of the leaders of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore bedrock voting protections that have been eroded by the U.S. Supreme Court, and ensure that all eligible voters have both access to the ballot and assurance that their ballot will be counted. Additionally, in 2023, Senator Warnock urged on the Department of Homeland Security to prioritize funding for election security.

In addition to Senator Warnock, the letter is also signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Ben Ray-Lujan (D-NM).

The senators’ letter can be found HERE and the text is below.

Dear Director Haines, Director Easterly, and Director Wray

Following reports of foreign interference in the 2024 elections, we ask that your agencies investigate the extent of this malicious interference and provide recommendations on how to prevent such interference from occurring in future elections.

The right to vote is a sacred cornerstone of our democracy. It is unacceptable that any foreign actor interferes, or attempts to interfere, with this right. In the weeks preceding the November 5, 2024 elections, numerous U.S. officials documented efforts by foreign actors to spread misinformation and disinformation through online channels to undermine faith in the democratic process. Foreign actors also attempted to target and hack both Presidential campaigns.

On Election Day itself, those foreign actors escalated. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, polling locations in states across the country received false bomb threats from foreign e-mail domains. Thankfully, these apparent efforts to shut down polling locations largely failed. However, at least 67 polling locations in 19 counties across the country, in Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, received threats that day, with many shutting down temporarily. This includes 13 polling locations in Georgia that temporarily closed following hoax bomb threats. Many were located in majority Black precincts in the metro Atlanta area.

While we do not question the final outcome of the election, any foreign interference in our elections is an attack on the foundations of our republic. That is particularly true of efforts to directly prevent eligible Americans from casting a ballot.

Online disinformation intended to sow doubt about election integrity is alarming enough. That foreign actors would take direct steps to shut down polling locations on Election Day is a new and deeply concerning escalation, and it must not stand. No voter should ever be turned away from a polling booth because a foreign actor falsely reported a bomb threat. A failure to respond to these egregious actions will only embolden foreign actors and invite more severe activity in future elections.

In light of these events, and pursuant to requirements under 50 U.S.C. § 3371c, we request that your agencies investigate the extent of this malicious interference, particularly as it pertains to interference with the operations of polling locations, and provide recommendations on how to prevent such interference from occurring in future elections. In addition, we ask that you brief us in writing and in person on your investigation by January 10, 2025.

Thank you for your attention to this issue of critical importance.

Sincerely,

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