The name Kurt Olsen may not be familiar to most Americans, but recent reporting suggests his new White House role deserves public scrutiny.
Olsen first came to public attention after Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss as a campaign lawyer who promoted debunked and conspiratorial allegations of widespread voter fraud. Four months ago he accepted a role with the administration as a “special government employee” charged with examining the events surrounding the 2020 election.
A Wall Street Journal report noted Olsen’s interest in voting machines and said he had been “asking intelligence agencies for information about the 2020 election.” Recent reporting in Politico adds that President Trump has directed senior U.S. intelligence agencies to share sensitive material about the 2020 race with Olsen, who is now a temporary White House official.
According to people familiar with the matter who spoke to Politico, the classified material being provided is intended to support an inquiry Olsen is leading into whether Joe Biden’s 2020 victory involved fraud or other irregularities. Those sources requested anonymity, citing fear of retaliation.
President Donald Trump on Feb. 11, 2025 outside of the West Wing of the White House.(Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images)
Politico reported that Olsen has been given access to certain Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) programs — among the most tightly restricted intelligence holdings — and that he sometimes relies on President Trump for assistance when interpreting highly classified reporting.
Why This Matters
Observers and critics say the arrangement raises two core concerns. First, it is difficult to justify providing some of the government’s most sensitive intelligence to a lawyer widely associated with disproven election claims. Second, the development fits into a broader pattern of administration actions related to elections that many view as aggressive or politically charged.
In recent weeks, the administration has taken a string of election-related steps that include:
- Deploying FBI agents to execute a search at an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia
- Seizing voting equipment in Puerto Rico
- Pursuing access to voter rolls from states carried by Joe Biden
- Organizing an FBI briefing for state election officials that some officials said was unnecessary
- Providing classified material about the 2020 contest to a former campaign lawyer
Taken together, the Politico account suggests the Olsen matter is part of a broader White House effort that continues to revisit the 2020 outcome. The report has not been independently corroborated by all outlets, and intelligence-sharing decisions typically involve classified processes and interagency review.
What To Watch
Key questions going forward include what specific intelligence was shared, what limits (if any) accompany Olsen’s access, who approved the sharing, and whether established safeguards against political misuse of intelligence were observed. Given the sensitivity of SCI material and the stakes for public trust in election administration and intelligence integrity, the developments are likely to draw continued oversight and scrutiny.
Reporting referenced: Politico and The Wall Street Journal.
