DHS Appointees Asked CISA to Secretly Hack a Voting Machine, Report Finds
ProPublica reporting shows Trump administration officials sought a covert hack of a voting machine while CISA's election security staff was gutted.
What to know
- ProPublica reports DHS political appointees asked CISA to secretly acquire and hack a voting machine, with findings meant for the White House, a request CISA staff feared was political interference.
- The request was never carried out, in part because DOGE layoffs had already removed CISA agents capable of such an operation.
- The Trump administration has cut over 1,000 CISA jobs, shrinking the agency by a third, and proposes a further $700 million cut that could mean 900 more layoffs.
- State election officials say CISA has provided no help or explanation during critical midterm preparation, prompting Democratic lawmakers to demand an investigation.
Donald Trump President of the United States
Elon Musk Led the Department of Government Efficiency initiativeRyan Macias Election technology and cybersecurity expert, former CISA consultantCISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) Federal agency tasked with election infrastructure securityUnnamed former DHS/CISA officials Sources for the ProPublica investigation
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage posts
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ProPublica publishes findings on CISA's hollowing-out
The investigative outlet details the DHS hacking request and the agency's reduced capacity, reporting that some state authorities no longer trust the administration enough to share information with CISA.
“My thought was they could keep it in their back pocket to invalidate any [election] results they don’t like. This goes against everything CISA represents.”
— Former administration official, Anonymous former DHS/CISA official · source -
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The Trump administration has drained CISA, a federal agency tasked with protecting election systems, of its staff and resources. Some state authorities said they no longer trusted the administration enough to share information with the agency.
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“A few months into…Trump’s 2nd term, political appointees at the Dept of Homeland Security made an unusual request of its agency focused on cybersecurity: Secretly acquire a voting machine & hack it. “The appointees wanted the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency [CISA] to procure the machine, examine it & report back the findings so…
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The Trump administration made sharp cuts to CISA, which is tasked with protecting voting systems. Some state officials say they fear that what is left of the agency has been compromised by a conspiracy-obsessed presidential administration.
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State election officials say CISA gave no midterm help — Several state election authorities report receiving no assistance or explanation from CISA during the critical planning period for the upcoming midterms.
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DHS appointees ask CISA to secretly hack a voting machine — Political appointees wanted CISA to covertly acquire a voting machine, test it for flaws, and report findings to the White House without notifying the vendor, a request CISA staff saw as political interference; CISA told them it was no longer capable of the operation and the appointees dropped it.
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DOGE layoffs strip CISA of cyber agents — Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency initiative laid off CISA agents, including those capable of the kind of covert hacking operation later requested by DHS appointees.
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Democratic lawmakers demand CISA investigation — Congressional Democrats called for an inquiry into CISA's ability to fulfill its election security mission and asked why federal funds directed by Congress for that purpose are not being used.
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Trump's 2027 budget proposes $700 million CISA cut — The proposal could force roughly 900 additional layoffs at the agency, further eroding its election security capabilities.
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Administration pushes out over 1,000 CISA staff — Layoffs and departures under Trump's second term have shrunk CISA by about one-third, reducing its capacity for election security work.
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Trump signs the CISA Act, creating election security role — The 2018 law established CISA's mandate to work with state authorities and voting machine vendors to protect election infrastructure from cyberattacks.