FBI sought to interview top Milwaukee County election official

The FBI attempted to interview one of the top election officials in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, according to the county clerk’s office.

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An FBI agent went to the home of county Elections Director Michelle Hawley and left her business card, County Clerk George Christenson said in a statement Wednesday.

“It is unfortunate that the FBI chose to visit the private residence of the Milwaukee County Elections Director rather than contact the Election Commission office directly,” Christenson said. “No dedicated public servant should be subjected to this type of intrusion simply because they carry out their responsibilities with integrity and professionalism. »

Christenson said the county would follow up to determine the nature of the visit, but added that “the 2020 presidential election was fair and transparent, and its results are accurate.”

“This has been proven repeatedly over the last six years by the post-election poll, the presidential election recount, state court challenges, federal court challenges, the forensic audit by the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Office and two other independent audits,” he said. “Continuing to challenge settled issues does not strengthen public confidence in elections, but it undermines it. »

Joe Biden won Milwaukee County with 69.1% of the vote in the 2020 presidential election, while President Donald Trump received only 29.3%.

Citing anonymous sources, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this week that the FBI has begun an investigation into Wisconsin’s handling of the 2020 election and has interviewed Robert Kehoe, deputy administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Christenson said Wednesday that while officials “will cooperate with all lawful law enforcement actions, we will defend against any attack on our democracy and defend the rights of Milwaukee County voters.”

“Our responsibility as election officials is to safeguard the integrity of the process through facts, transparency and respect for the law, and the record clearly demonstrates that these standards were met in 2020,” he continued.

The FBI also demanded voting records from the 2020 presidential election in Arizona, Michigan and Georgia.

Agents first seized ballots in January after the FBI raided an election center in Fulton County, Georgia, that has been at the center of Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was “stolen.” A federal judge ruled this month that the FBI could keep the ballots it recovered.

The FBI also sought and obtained documents relating to the 2020 election in Arizona in early March. Last month, the Justice Department demanded that a Michigan county turn over all ballots from the election. Democrats won the two targeted Arizona counties and the Michigan county solidly in the 2020 election.