White House actions spur worry among FBI agents about being called to polling places, sources say

Some FBI agents fear they could be ordered to seize voting machines or otherwise disrupt the vote count as the Nov. 3 midterms approach, MS NOW reports, citing seven people familiar with internal discussions. Current and former officials, speaking anonymously, say recent Trump administration moves meant to undermine trust in elections have raised alarm that agents could be told to pursue legally dubious fraud claims. They point to January's FBI seizure of ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, backed by a warrant resting largely on previously debunked 2020 allegations, and to March's acquisition of voting records and equipment from a Republican-led review in Maricopa County, Arizona. Neither episode has produced criminal charges. Experts say a seizure on voting day could stop ballots from being cast or counted and break the chain of custody.

Federal law bars armed agents from polling places, but the worry is that thin allegations could yield warrants authorizing it. The Democratic National Committee has warned of a plausible threat of warrant-based ballot seizure, while the Justice Department's October lawsuit sought removal of an estimated 20,000 California voters. Rob D'Amico, a former supervisory FBI agent, said dissenters have been removed.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →