Political appointees at the US Department of Homeland Security, shortly after the start of Donald Trump’s second presidential term, pressed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to discreetly purchase a voting machine and try to hack it. Anadolu Agency reports, citing a ProPublica investigation.The results were to be sent to the White HouseTwo former administration officials told ProPublica that CISA was to send the test results to the White House and not notify the equipment manufacturer about any vulnerabilities found. According to the outlet, this differed from the usual procedure.Career CISA employees viewed the request as a possible step toward political interference. One former official suggested that information about vulnerabilities could have been retained for a potential invalidation of election results that the initiators of such a request did not like.CISA employees repeatedly explained that they could not carry out the task, including because specialists capable of conducting such a test had been dismissed as part of the Elon Musk-linked Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Ultimately, the political appointees abandoned the idea, the report said.More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.Cutbacks at CISA and states’ responseAfter Trump returned to power, more than 1,000 employees were dismissed from or forced out of CISA, reducing the agency’s staff by about one-third. The president’s budget proposal for 2027 provides for an additional $700 million cut in spending, which could mean another 900 layoffs.Several state election authorities said they had received no assistance from CISA while preparing for the midterm elections. Election security expert Ryan Macias, who advised the agency, said there is a difference between deprioritizing work and an institution effectively being absent.States also reported a loss of trust after the administration released declassified records concerning the 2020 election that contained sensitive information confidentially provided to CISA. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said that in an August conversation, he told acting CISA Director Nick Andersen about his lack of trust in him. In September, CISA released a 13-page election security plan that Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows called a belated offer of support.
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