An FBI agent appeared at the home of Milwaukee County's top elections official this week, leaving behind a business card and drawing sharp criticism from county leadership over the agency's approach to a widening investigation into the 2020 presidential election.
County Elections Director Michelle Hawley was the target of the unannounced visit, County Clerk George Christenson disclosed Wednesday. Christenson said the bureau should have contacted the Election Commission's office through official channels rather than approaching Hawley at her private residence.
"No dedicated public servant should be subjected to that type of intrusion simply for carrying out her responsibilities with integrity and professionalism," Christenson said in a statement.
The visit marks the latest sign that federal investigators are intensifying scrutiny of how states managed the 2020 election. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported earlier this week that the FBI had launched a probe into Wisconsin's handling of that contest and had already interviewed Robert Kehoe, deputy administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
County officials said they will cooperate with legitimate law enforcement but pledged to defend against what they view as attacks on the democratic process. Christenson noted that Milwaukee County's handling of the 2020 election has survived repeated rounds of scrutiny over six years, including a post-election canvass, a presidential recount, challenges in both state and federal court, a forensic audit by Wisconsin's Legislative Audit Bureau, and two independent audits.
"Continuing to relitigate settled questions does not strengthen public confidence in elections but it undermines it," Christenson said, adding that the county remains committed to safeguarding election integrity through facts, transparency, and adherence to the law.
Biden won Milwaukee County decisively in 2020, capturing 69.1 percent of the vote while Trump garnered 29.3 percent. The FBI has not commented on the nature of its Wisconsin investigation or what prompted the agency to seek an interview with Hawley.
The Wisconsin probe is part of a broader federal effort targeting election administration across multiple swing states. The FBI has demanded election records from Arizona, Michigan, and Georgia related to the 2020 contest. In January, agents seized ballots after raiding an elections hub in Fulton County, Georgia, and a federal judge later ruled the agency could retain them. Arizona turned over election records in early March, and the Justice Department demanded ballots from a Michigan county last month.
Democrats won decisively in the targeted Arizona and Michigan counties in the 2020 election, similar to the results in Milwaukee County.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The FBI's decision to show up at an election official's home instead of going through proper channels suggests either a probe lacking focus or an agency that thinks the stakes justify bypassing procedure, and neither explanation should comfort anyone invested in institutional restraint."
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