Latest news with #ElectionSecurity
Washington Post
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Senate committee advances Trump nominee to lead cybersecurity agency that protects election systems
NEW YORK — A U.S. Senate committee voted Wednesday to advance President Donald Trump's pick to lead the agency that secures the nation's critical infrastructure, including election systems . Members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 9-6 to recommend Sean Plankey 's nomination for director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, which sits under the Department of Homeland Security. The agency has been dealing with workforce and funding cuts, as well as criticism from Republicans over some of its election-related activities. Plankey, who retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2023, worked in the first Trump administration as a director for cyber policy at the National Security Council and then as a principal deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy. If confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate, he will inherit an agency that has been mired in partisan tensions over the role it should play in combating false claims about voting or election fraud. Those claims have led to a lack of trust among Republicans in election workers and voting machines since Trump started lying about widespread fraud leading to his loss in the 2020 election. A majority of Republicans still believe that Democrat Joe Biden was not legitimately elected president in 2020. CISA is tasked with protecting the nation's critical infrastructure, from dams and power plants to banks and voting systems. It has received praise from state election officials of both parties for its work protecting those systems. But it also has been sharply criticized by Republicans who claim its efforts to counter misinformation about elections and the COVID-19 pandemic veered into censorship. During her Senate hearing in January to be homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem said the agency had strayed 'far off mission.' CISA officials have said they were never engaged in censorship and only worked with states in 2020 to help them notify social media companies about misinformation spreading on their platforms. They said the agency did not instruct or try to coerce those companies to act. CISA worked with other federal agencies in 2024 to alert the public to various foreign misinformation campaigns related to the election. During his July 24 confirmation hearing, Plankey faced some pointed questions about election security. When Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked him if the 2020 election was rigged and stolen, Plankey did not answer directly. Instead, he said he had not reviewed that election's cybersecurity and that his personal opinions were not relevant. He acknowledged that Biden's victory was confirmed by the Electoral College and that he was sworn in. Blumenthal then pressed Plankey on what he would do if Trump later pushed him to falsely claim the 2026 or 2028 elections were rigged. 'Senator, as a cybersecurity professional, these are state-run elections,' Plankey answered. 'I have not reviewed the cybersecurity posture of all 50 states. That's like a doctor who's diagnosing somebody over the television because they saw him on the news.' 'No,' Blumenthal replied. 'It's like a doctor who has a patient come to him and is responsible for doing the diagnosis.' The senator called Plankey's answers 'unsatisfactory' and accused him of 'undermining the confidence of the nation in the election apparatus.' Plankey also will face a challenge leading an agency that is undergoing structural changes during Trump's second term. That includes funding and workforce cuts and the pausing of election security work pending a Homeland Security review. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., asked Plankey how he would ensure the agency's statutory requirements are met, given the expected multimillion-dollar budget cuts and personnel leaving the agency. The nominee said he had learned through his leadership experience to 'allow the operators to operate' and praised the cybersecurity capabilities of the agency's staff. He said he would reorganize CISA or ask for more money if needed. Plankey's advancement comes as the ranking Democrats on the House and Senate committees overseeing elections have sent multiple letters to CISA leadership requesting information about its workforce cuts and the status of its efforts to support election infrastructure. They have not received a response. Trump signed an executive order earlier this year directing the U.S. Justice Department to investigate former CISA head Chris Krebs and strip his security clearances. Krebs became a target of Trump's ire after he insisted the 2020 election was secure and that ballot counts were accurate.
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate committee advances Trump nominee to lead cybersecurity agency that protects election systems
NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. Senate committee voted Wednesday to advance President Donald Trump's pick to lead the agency that secures the nation's critical infrastructure, including election systems. Members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 9-6 to recommend Sean Plankey 's nomination for director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, which sits under the Department of Homeland Security. The agency has been dealing with workforce and funding cuts, as well as criticism from Republicans over some of its election-related activities. Plankey, who retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2023, worked in the first Trump administration as a director for cyber policy at the National Security Council and then as a principal deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy. If confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate, he will inherit an agency that has been mired in partisan tensions over the role it should play in combating false claims about voting or election fraud. Those claims have led to a lack of trust among Republicans in election workers and voting machines since Trump started lying about widespread fraud leading to his loss in the 2020 election. A majority of Republicans still believe that Democrat Joe Biden was not legitimately elected president in 2020. CISA is tasked with protecting the nation's critical infrastructure, from dams and power plants to banks and voting systems. It has received praise from state election officials of both parties for its work protecting those systems. But it also has been sharply criticized by Republicans who claim its efforts to counter misinformation about elections and the COVID-19 pandemic veered into censorship. During her Senate hearing in January to be homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem said the agency had strayed 'far off mission.' CISA officials have said they were never engaged in censorship and only worked with states in 2020 to help them notify social media companies about misinformation spreading on their platforms. They said the agency did not instruct or try to coerce those companies to act. CISA worked with other federal agencies in 2024 to alert the public to various foreign misinformation campaigns related to the election. During his July 24 confirmation hearing, Plankey faced some pointed questions about election security. When Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked him if the 2020 election was rigged and stolen, Plankey did not answer directly. Instead, he said he had not reviewed that election's cybersecurity and that his personal opinions were not relevant. He acknowledged that Biden's victory was confirmed by the Electoral College and that he was sworn in. Blumenthal then pressed Plankey on what he would do if Trump later pushed him to falsely claim the 2026 or 2028 elections were rigged. 'Senator, as a cybersecurity professional, these are state-run elections,' Plankey answered. 'I have not reviewed the cybersecurity posture of all 50 states. That's like a doctor who's diagnosing somebody over the television because they saw him on the news.' 'No," Blumenthal replied. "It's like a doctor who has a patient come to him and is responsible for doing the diagnosis.' The senator called Plankey's answers 'unsatisfactory' and accused him of 'undermining the confidence of the nation in the election apparatus.' Plankey also will face a challenge leading an agency that is undergoing structural changes during Trump's second term. That includes funding and workforce cuts and the pausing of election security work pending a Homeland Security review. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., asked Plankey how he would ensure the agency's statutory requirements are met, given the expected multimillion-dollar budget cuts and personnel leaving the agency. The nominee said he had learned through his leadership experience to 'allow the operators to operate' and praised the cybersecurity capabilities of the agency's staff. He said he would reorganize CISA or ask for more money if needed. Plankey's advancement comes as the ranking Democrats on the House and Senate committees overseeing elections have sent multiple letters to CISA leadership requesting information about its workforce cuts and the status of its efforts to support election infrastructure. They have not received a response. Trump signed an executive order earlier this year directing the U.S. Justice Department to investigate former CISA head Chris Krebs and strip his security clearances. Krebs became a target of Trump's ire after he insisted the 2020 election was secure and that ballot counts were accurate.
Associated Press
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Senate committee advances Trump nominee to lead cybersecurity agency that protects election systems
NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. Senate committee voted Wednesday to advance President Donald Trump's pick to lead the agency that secures the nation's critical infrastructure, including election systems. Members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 9-6 to recommend Sean Plankey 's nomination for director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, which sits under the Department of Homeland Security. The agency has been dealing with workforce and funding cuts, as well as criticism from Republicans over some of its election-related activities. Plankey, who retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2023, worked in the first Trump administration as a director for cyber policy at the National Security Council and then as a principal deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy. If confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate, he will inherit an agency that has been mired in partisan tensions over the role it should play in combating false claims about voting or election fraud. Those claims have led to a lack of trust among Republicans in election workers and voting machines since Trump started lying about widespread fraud leading to his loss in the 2020 election. A majority of Republicans still believe that Democrat Joe Biden was not legitimately elected president in 2020. CISA is tasked with protecting the nation's critical infrastructure, from dams and power plants to banks and voting systems. It has received praise from state election officials of both parties for its work protecting those systems. But it also has been sharply criticized by Republicans who claim its efforts to counter misinformation about elections and the COVID-19 pandemic veered into censorship. During her Senate hearing in January to be homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem said the agency had strayed 'far off mission.' CISA officials have said they were never engaged in censorship and only worked with states in 2020 to help them notify social media companies about misinformation spreading on their platforms. They said the agency did not instruct or try to coerce those companies to act. CISA worked with other federal agencies in 2024 to alert the public to various foreign misinformation campaigns related to the election. During his July 24 confirmation hearing, Plankey faced some pointed questions about election security. When Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked him if the 2020 election was rigged and stolen, Plankey did not answer directly. Instead, he said he had not reviewed that election's cybersecurity and that his personal opinions were not relevant. He acknowledged that Biden's victory was confirmed by the Electoral College and that he was sworn in. Blumenthal then pressed Plankey on what he would do if Trump later pushed him to falsely claim the 2026 or 2028 elections were rigged. 'Senator, as a cybersecurity professional, these are state-run elections,' Plankey answered. 'I have not reviewed the cybersecurity posture of all 50 states. That's like a doctor who's diagnosing somebody over the television because they saw him on the news.' 'No,' Blumenthal replied. 'It's like a doctor who has a patient come to him and is responsible for doing the diagnosis.' The senator called Plankey's answers 'unsatisfactory' and accused him of 'undermining the confidence of the nation in the election apparatus.' Plankey also will face a challenge leading an agency that is undergoing structural changes during Trump's second term. That includes funding and workforce cuts and the pausing of election security work pending a Homeland Security review. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., asked Plankey how he would ensure the agency's statutory requirements are met, given the expected multimillion-dollar budget cuts and personnel leaving the agency. The nominee said he had learned through his leadership experience to 'allow the operators to operate' and praised the cybersecurity capabilities of the agency's staff. He said he would reorganize CISA or ask for more money if needed. Plankey's advancement comes as the ranking Democrats on the House and Senate committees overseeing elections have sent multiple letters to CISA leadership requesting information about its workforce cuts and the status of its efforts to support election infrastructure. They have not received a response. Trump signed an executive order earlier this year directing the U.S. Justice Department to investigate former CISA head Chris Krebs and strip his security clearances. Krebs became a target of Trump's ire after he insisted the 2020 election was secure and that ballot counts were accurate.
CNN
26-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Voters in Taiwan reject bid to oust China-friendly lawmakers in closely watched poll
Asia China Election securityFacebookTweetLink Follow TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwanese voters rejected a bid to oust about one-fifth of their lawmakers, all from the opposition Nationalist Party, in a recall election Saturday, dampening hopes for the ruling party to flip the balance of power in the self-ruled island's legislature. The independence-leaning ruling Democratic Progressive Party won last year's presidential election, but the China-friendly Nationalists, also known as the KMT, and the smaller Taiwan People's Party have enough seats to form a majority bloc. Official preliminary results showed that the recall efforts failed to remove any of the two dozen KMT lawmakers. The scale of the recall elections is unprecedented, with another seven KMT lawmakers facing a similar vote on Aug. 23. The KMT currently holds 52 seats, while the ruling DPP holds 51 seats. For the DPP to secure a legislative majority, at least six KMT lawmakers would need to be ousted, and the ruling party would need to win the by-elections, which must be held within three months of the announcement of results. For the recall to pass, more than a quarter of eligible voters in the electoral district must vote in favor of it, and the total number of supporters must exceed those voting against. The poll closed at 4 p.m. local time. Taiwan's Central Election Commission will announce the official results on Aug. 1. If next month's poll results are also unfavorable to the DPP, it would mean that the government of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te could continue to face strong resistance from within the legislature before elections expected to take place in 2028. KMT chairman Eric Chu told reporters that voters had used their ballots to prove Taiwan's democracy is mature and great, calling for an apology from Lai. 'All Taiwanese people chose stability, chose that the government should focus on getting things done, rather than engaging in bitter political fighting,' he said. Despite their huge effort, those backing the recall were facing an 'uphill battle' in trying to unseat lawmakers in well organized, strongly KMT districts, said Lev Nachman, a professor of political science at National Taiwan University. The result is going to make it even harder for Lai to push his agenda forward, especially ahead of local elections next year, said Nachman, who is an expert on Taiwan's elections. 'At the moment, there is very little Lai can do other than try to think of other creative ways to appeal to the public,' he told The Associated Press. Fu Kun-chi, one of the most powerful and controversial lawmakers targeted, said the result left Lai with no option other than to meet with the opposition and 'find a way for Taiwan to proceed in a more stable way in this chaotic world.' DPP Secretary-General Lin Yu-chang said they humbly accepted the results, saying the recall should not be reduced to a victory or defeat for political parties and that it should be seen as a demonstration of civic power. He said his party has the responsibility to reflect on public sentiment more cautiously and adjust its approach to meet people's expectations. Those who support removing the 24 lawmakers have criticized the KMT and its allies for blocking key legislation, especially the defense budget, and passing controversial changes that are seen as diminishing the power of the executive and favoring China, which considers the island its own territory. The opposition parties' actions sparked concerns among some Taiwanese about the island's democratic integrity and its ability to deter Chinese military threats, leading to the recall campaigns. But the KMT has accused the ruling party of resorting to political retaliation after it lost the legislative majority, saying the recalls were undermining and challenging Taiwan's democratic system. The elections have intensified tensions between those backing the status quo and those favoring improved ties with Beijing. Critics accuse China-friendly politicians of compromising Taiwan and take issue with their meetings with mainland Chinese politicians. But these Taiwanese politicians claim their connections are vital for dialogue given Beijing's refusal to interact with the DPP. When asked about the recall election, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said in June that since the administration of Lai came into power, it has sought to achieve 'one-party dominance' and practiced dictatorship under the guise of democracy, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The office is a branch of China's ruling Communist Party government, which itself maintains strict one-party rule. Zhu said that Lai's government has spared no effort in suppressing opposition parties and those who supported the development of cross-strait relations. Taiwan's mainland affairs council said Wednesday that the Chinese authorities and state media had tried to blatantly interfere with the vote.
CNN
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Trump's Justice Department seeks voter rolls from Michigan, a key battleground
Federal agencies Donald Trump Election security US electionsFacebookTweetLink Follow President Donald Trump's Justice Department is asking the top election official in the key battleground state of Michigan for access to voter registration records and demanding information about its efforts to kick ineligible voters off the rolls. The department's outreach to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, in the form of a letter her office received Monday from two lawyers in DOJ's civil rights division, is the latest development in the Trump administration's effort to gather data on voters around the country. Officials in multiple states, including battlegrounds Arizona and Wisconsin have reported receiving information requests from the DOJ in recent weeks. The moves have unsettled some election officials who have faced threats and harassment recent years as conspiracy theories about election fraud have ballooned. Michigan, a perennial swing state, is home to a closely watched US Senate race next year to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters and several battleground US House contests. Michiganders also will choose a new governor in 2026 to replace the state's term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond to a CNN inquiry Wednesday. Benson spokesperson Angela Benander said agency officials are 'still reviewing' the DOJ's request. Trump reclaimed Michigan last year after losing it in the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden. After his 2020 loss, Trump allies fueled baseless conspiracies about massive voter fraud in deep-blue Detroit and claims that rigged voting machines had manipulated results in some rural counties. Benson, who has vocally defended the integrity of elections in the state, is among the Democratic candidates running for governor next year. Monday's letter asked Benson for a range of information, including providing an electronic copy of the state's 'computerized statewide voter registration list' and spelling out steps for removing ineligible voters. It demanded the information within 14 days. Separately, Benson's office also received an email earlier this month from the Justice Department's criminal division, seeking a 'potential information-sharing agreement' on people who may have committed election fraud in the state, according to a copy shared with CNN. Benander said state officials have not yet responded to that inquiry.
