Several employees at the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) responsible for election security have been placed on administrative leave, news agency Associated Press reported. This move affects critical support for state and local election offices across the country.
Seventeen CISA employees who worked with election officials on cybersecurity, ransomware threats, and physical security have been placed on leave pending a review, news agency AP reported, quoting a source familiar with the situation. Ten of them are regional election security specialists who were hired to strengthen election security efforts ahead of the 2024 election. The review will examine efforts to counter foreign interference in US elections, which have been assigned to other staff members.
These employees, all former state or local election officials, were brought in to build relationships across all 50 states and more than 8,000 local election jurisdictions. They spent the past year working with officials, attending conferences, and providing guidance on cybersecurity and physical security measures.
State election officials from both political parties have defended CISA’s role. Kentucky secretary of state Michael Adams, a Republican, said CISA’s local staff had been especially helpful for county clerks.
“The most value that we’ve got from CISA has been the people that they have on the ground in our state that build direct relationships, not just with us but with the individual county clerks,” Adams said. “They’re teaching them and helping them check their physical security and their cyber hygiene, and that’s been extremely popular.”
Michigan secretary of state Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, also supported CISA’s work.
“And I hope that leaders in the federal government who claim to care about election integrity will recognize that,” she was quoted as saying by news agency AP.
The remaining employees placed on leave are current or former members of CISA’s election security and resilience team. The review is focused on the agency’s efforts to address misinformation and disinformation, as per the AP report. The ten regional election security specialists who worked with state and local officials were part of CISA’s field operations division.
The personnel changes come amid criticism from some Republican officials. Kristi Noem, President Donald Trump’s new homeland security secretary, said during her Senate confirmation hearing that CISA had strayed “far off mission” and pledged to work with senators “should you wish to rein them in.”
Trump has not named a replacement for former CISA director Jen Easterly. CISA officials were also absent from recent meetings of state election officials in Washington, DC.
CISA was established in 2018 during Trump’s presidency and is responsible for protecting critical infrastructure, including voting systems. Although it operates under the department of homeland security, it has its own Senate-confirmed director.
Trump and his allies have criticized CISA’s efforts to counter misinformation related to the 2020 presidential election and the Covid-19 pandemic. CISA officials have said they did not engage in censorship but helped states notify social media platforms about misinformation without directing them to act.
For the 2024 election, CISA and other federal agencies have warned about foreign misinformation campaigns, including three fake videos linked to Russia that falsely suggested election misconduct in key states.
US Cybersecurity Agency Removes Election Security Staff Amid 2024 Review | World News – The Times of India
