Federal and state officials investigate attempt to breach Ohio county office after data surfaced at ‘Big Lie’ symposium
The incident, which took place in the office of John Hamercheck, chairman of the Ohio Lake County Board of Trustees, involved someone plugging a personal laptop into the computer network in Hamercheck’s office, according to two people brief in the investigation and anonymous. A third source briefed on the investigation, a US official, confirmed that the investigation focused on a private laptop used at the Lake District Commission.
While no sensitive information was obtained from Hamercheck’s office, ordinary internet traffic unrelated to the election was recorded by a laptop that was then distributed at a conference. August hosted by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, promoting false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, according to people briefed on the investigation. Robert Graham, a cybersecurity expert who attended the conference hosted by Lindell, told CNN that digital copies of computer files labeled as coming from Lake County were distributed at the event. .
Ohio officials said there were multiple layers of security in place to prevent any election-related data from being compromised, and that the Lake County computer network containing Hamercheck’s office was not connected to the Society’s computer network. co-election.
FBI and Ohio officials are investigating the Lake County incident, two of those briefed on the investigation said. The Ohio Attorney General’s office is also investigating, one of the people said.
Hamercheck did not respond to CNN’s request for an interview. The FBI declined to comment.
Hamercheck told The Washington Post that he had been advised not to discuss the investigation, and that he was “knowing of no criminal activity.”
In 2019, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued a directive asking counties to strengthen their cybersecurity through training and assessment, among other measures.
Rob Nichols, a spokesman for LaRose, told CNN: “Cybersecurity protocols put in place in 2019 by the secretary have worked, and no election data is at risk of being compromised.”
Images from Mesa County were also shown on screens at a “cyber symposium” convened by Lindell in South Dakota.
The Mesa County incident is now the subject of a criminal investigation. Elections official, Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, last week said her home was raided by the FBI. Peters, a Republican, has not been charged with any crime related to the Colorado investigation, and in court documents she has denied allowing any leaks.
Election security experts told CNN they worry that those promoting false election fraud stories will be encouraged by these incidents unless there are consequences.
“If law enforcement doesn’t start charging people, prosecuting them and holding them accountable, then we’re going to be in trouble,” said Amber McReynolds, a former Denver elections director.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, a federal agency that supports election security efforts, has redoubled efforts to combat election-related misinformation. CNN first reported in October that the Biden administration had asked Kim Wyman, the Republican former Washington secretary of state, to lead those efforts.
Matthew Masterson, Wyman’s predecessor at CISA and a former official in the Ohio secretary of state’s office, praised the state’s election security measures.
“Ohio had the appropriate safeguards in place and reacted quickly,” Masterson told CNN. “Other states should follow their lead as unfortunately this will continue to happen as the situation escalates and there is no accountability to those who spread misinformation about this year’s election. 2020.”
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