SAINT PAUL, MN - This week, the Associated Press reported that 17 employees within the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have been placed on leave pending a review, according to a source familiar with the situation. Ten of these employees are regional election security specialists hired as an effort to expand field staff and election security expertise ahead of the 2024 election. The other staffers placed on leave are members of the Agency’s Election Security and Resilience team. These workers coordinate directly with local election officials, providing training and assessments to deal with threats ranging from ransomware attacks to the physical security of staff and volunteers at polling locations.
CISA was formed in 2018, and is housed under the Department of Homeland Security. However, the Agency is separate with its own Senate-confirmed director. Donald Trump fired the former director of CISA, Chris Krebs, after the Agency promoted the statement that “There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes or was in any way compromised,” during the 2020 election.
During her Senate confirmation hearing, Kristi Noem, Trump’s new Homeland Security Secretary, claimed that CISA had strayed “far off mission,” and pledged to help lawmakers “rein them in,” criticizing their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The acting director of CISA, Jen Easterly has defended the Agency’s work, saying it “does not censor, has never censored.” Instead, it alerts social media companies to misinformation campaigns for the sake of election security.
In response to these developments, the Co-Chairs of the Minnesota Legislature’s Inclusive Democracy Caucus released the following statements:
“These developments are deeply troubling,” said Senator Liz Boldon (DFL-Rochester). “In Minnesota, our Office of the Secretary of State relies on assistance from CISA for expanded cybersecurity, meaning this is an attack on the security of Minnesota’s elections. Based on what we’ve seen from the Trump administration over the past three weeks - unilateral and unconstitutional funding freezes, dismantling of federal agencies, and attempts to gut the staffing levels for essential government services - this is more of the Project 2025 playbook in real time. During his campaigns, Donald Trump has repeated false and racist conspiracies about immigrants, and he continues to claim that the 2020 election was rigged, despite losing court case after court case that proved otherwise. The firing of workers tasked with the security of our elections, combined with Trump’s proximity to social media platform tech-oligarchs, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, paint a very grim picture about Trump’s plans to disseminate more misinformation and conspiracy theories. I call on my Republican colleagues to join us in standing up against these attacks on our democracy.”
“While Trump and his cronies wage their cruel crusade against diversity programs and transgender Americans, they're simultaneously gutting our election security from within,” said Representative Cedrick Frazier (DFL-New Hope). “This isn't a coincidence - it's a coordinated assault on our democracy while their billionaire donors stuff their pockets with Minnesota taxpayer dollars. Every attack on our election system, every hate crime, every terrorized family, every marginalized American pushed deeper into despair - it's all by design. We are seeing outrageously dangerous trends today from the Trump administration that echo aspects of historical fascist movements that have caused immense suffering and historical trauma.
“Trump’s administration seems to forget that governing a country is not the same as a twisted reality show where we can change the channel. Real Minnesotans - our communities, relatives, and neighbors - are watching their democracy's guardians being dismantled in real time, while Black and brown bodies continue to fuel their machinery of profit. The time for polite disagreement is over. We in the Minnesota legislature must be the last line of defense against this methodical destruction of our democratic safeguards and this onslaught of hatred, greed, and systemic corruption.
“Our communities deserve a representative democracy that dismantles systemic barriers and ensures equal access to justice, opportunity, and representation for everyone. This isn't just about human dignity and democracy - it's about defending Minnesota against those who would dismantle our election security, exploit our people, and perpetuate cycles of oppression. The time to act is now.”
“President Trump's assault on our democracy continues and is now targeting our country’s election security and cybersecurity infrastructure,” said Representative Emma Greenman (DFL-Minneapolis). “In retaliation for doing their job to combat foreign interference and election disinformation, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are dismantling the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency team that works with state and local elections officials. They are making our elections more vulnerable to hacking and foreign interference, and they are doing it on purpose. Just yesterday, in the House Elections Committee, we heard from the Office of Secretary of State about the vital support that CISA provides in combating cyber threats and potential interference in Minnesota elections. Going after the workers who help keep our elections safe threatens our elections and the rights of voters. I hope my Minnesota Republican colleagues will join me in condemning President Trump’s action for what it is–an active threat to the integrity of our elections.”
The following members of the Senate and House Elections Committees have cosigned this statement from the Inclusive Democracy Caucus:
Chair of the Senate Elections Committee, Senator Jim Carlson (DFL-Eagan)
DFL Lead of the House Elections Committee, Representative Mike Frieberg (DFL-Golden Valley)
Senator Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie)
Senator Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville)
Senator Bonnie Westlin (DFL-Plymouth)
Senator John Marty (DFL-Roseville)
Representative Liz Lee (DFL-Saint Paul)
Representative Nathan Coulter (DFL-Bloomington)
Representative Bianca Virnig (DFL-Eagan)
Representative Patty Acomb (DFL-Minnetonka)