The FBI visited the home of Milwaukee County Elections Director Michelle Hawley and left a business card, prompting county officials to call the contact intrusive. County Clerk George Christenson reiterated that Wisconsin's 2020 election was fair, citing multiple audits, recounts and court reviews. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the FBI has opened a wider probe and interviewed state election staff, while federal investigators have also sought ballots and records in Arizona, Michigan and Georgia.
FBI Agent Visits Milwaukee Elections Director’s Home; County Calls Move 'Intrusive' Amid Broader Probe
The Milwaukee County Clerk's Office said it will 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.” (Taylor Glascock / The Washington Post via Getty Images)(Taylor Glascock)
An FBI agent visited the home of Milwaukee County Elections Director Michelle Hawley and left a business card, County Clerk George Christenson said in a statement Wednesday. The visit, the county said, raises concerns because the agent did not first contact the Elections Commission office.
Christenson called the home visit an unnecessary intrusion into the private life of a public servant saying officials will follow up to determine the nature of the contact. He also reiterated the county’s position that the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin was conducted fairly and transparently.
“No dedicated public servant should be subjected to that type of intrusion simply for carrying out her responsibilities with integrity and professionalism,” Christenson said.
Christenson pointed to multiple post-election reviews that upheld the 2020 results, including the post-election canvass, the presidential recount, state and federal court challenges, the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau review and two additional independent audits. He said continuing to relitigate settled questions undermines public confidence in elections rather than strengthening it.
In Milwaukee County, Joe Biden won 69.1% of the 2020 presidential vote to Donald Trump’s 29.3%, according to certified results.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this week, citing unnamed sources, that the FBI has opened a broader probe 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 requests for comment.
Context: Federal Inquiries in Other States
Federal investigators have also sought ballots and election records in other battleground states. In January, agents seized ballots after an FBI search of an elections hub in Fulton County, Georgia; a federal judge recently ruled the FBI may retain those ballots. In early March the FBI requested and obtained records related to the 2020 vote in Arizona, and last month the Justice Department sought ballots from a Michigan county. The counties targeted in Arizona and Michigan voted decisively for Democrats in 2020.
Christenson said Milwaukee County will cooperate with legitimate law enforcement requests while defending the rights of voters and the integrity of its election processes through transparency and adherence to the law.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.
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