{"id":2124706,"date":"2023-12-14T06:24:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T11:24:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/shadow-of-doubt-fbi-keenly-focused-on-elevated-risk-of-outside-influence-in-2024-election\/"},"modified":"2023-12-14T11:19:54","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T16:19:54","slug":"shadow-of-doubt-fbi-keenly-focused-on-elevated-risk-of-outside-influence-in-2024-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/shadow-of-doubt-fbi-keenly-focused-on-elevated-risk-of-outside-influence-in-2024-election\/","title":{"rendered":"FBI intently focused on outside influence risk in 2024 election"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fshadow-of-doubt-fbi-keenly-focused-on-elevated-risk-of-outside-influence-in-2024-election%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2124706&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Threat of Election Interference in 2024: A National Security Concern<\/h2>\n<blockquote><p>The national \u2062security community is &#8220;keenly focused&#8221; \u200con the threat of possible election interference in the 2024 elections, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;It is not seriously disputed that our foreign adversaries have tried and are continuing to try to interfere in our elections,&#8221; Wray, who has \u2062run the FBI since 2017, told Senate \u2064lawmakers last week, though he added, &#8220;We\u2019re keenly focused on the risk that foreign adversaries, whether it\u2019s Russia,\u200d whether it\u2019s China,\u200c whether it\u2019s Iran or others, would seek to interfere in our elections.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Elevated Threats and Adversaries<\/h3>\n<p>The leader of the FBI acknowledged that the threats of external influence on the 2024 presidential \u2063election are &#8220;elevated.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think it\u2019s fair to say that they are elevated from where \u2063they were before,&#8221; Wray\u200c explained. &#8220;And to elaborate just slightly on that point, \u200dobviously we saw, and it\u2019s not \u2062disputed, that the Russians tried to interfere \u200din the 2016 election and then continued.\u2063 But what we\u2019ve seen since then is other adversaries attempting to take a page out of the Russians&#8217; \u200cplaybook.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>There is the threat from outside countries that could influence views and public opinion prior to the election\u200b in addition to the threat from election machinery. Last\u200d month, Meta,\u200c Facebook&#8217;s parent company, announced that it shut down roughly 4,800 \u2063fake accounts created by someone in China designed to appear to be from\u200b Americans with the intent to spread polarizing political content.<\/p>\n<p>The left-leaning \u2062group Free Speech for People, a nonprofit advocacy group focused \u200don election and campaign finance reforms, wrote a letter earlier this month expressing concern about previous efforts to access\u2062 voting system software to Wray, Attorney General Merrick Garland, special counsel Jack\u2063 Smith, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly.<\/p>\n<p>The group of roughly\u2064 two dozen computer \u200bscientists, election security experts,\u2064 and voter advocacy organizations who signed the letter requested a federal investigation into\u2063 what it alleged was \u2062a \u201cmulti-state conspiracy to obtain \u2064voting machine software, carried out through cooperation of \u2063a network of Trump allies.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Former President\u2064 Donald Trump, who is also the 2024 GOP front-runner, repeatedly \u200band vociferously \u200cdoubted the integrity of the 2020 election that he lost to President Joe Biden. His claims, \u2064which were parroted by a majority within the Republican Party, delegitimized the validity \u2062of his election loss in the eyes of his tens of millions of supporters, many of whom still believe, without evidence, that the election was stolen from the former president.<\/p>\n<p>There was no evidence to support the Trump team&#8217;s claims that there was a level of fraud so significant it changed the outcome of the election, and their arguments were roundly dismissed in dozens of court cases.<\/p>\n<p>The past election was conducted during the coronavirus pandemic, and voters relied on early voting and mail-in voting more heavily than ever before, which some GOP and Trump officials claimed \u2063was the source of some of the fraud.<\/p>\n<p>Now, though, Trump and the Republican National\u200b Committee are looking to use early voting to \u200ctheir advantage.<\/p>\n<p>The former \u200dpresident said in October,\u2063 &#8220;I will secure our elections, and our\u200d goal will be one-day voting with paper ballots and voter\u2063 ID. \u2064\u2026 But until then, Republicans have to compete,\u2064 and we\u2064 have to win.&#8221; RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel explained in April, &#8220;Our approach to election integrity is: We fight in the courtroom, but we play by the rules we\u2019re given\u200d in the field.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">CLICK HERE\u200b TO READ \u2063MORE FROM THE\u200d WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>\u2063 How\u2064 have foreign adversaries demonstrated their capabilities and \u2064willingness\u2064 to interfere in democratic processes globally?<\/h2>\n<p>K\u200d Garland, and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. The letter raised concerns about foreign adversaries potentially \u2062tampering with\u2063 election \u2063machinery to manipulate the results of the 2024 elections.<\/p>\n<h3>The Impact of Election Interference<\/h3>\n<p>Election interference poses a \u2063significant\u2063 threat to the integrity of democratic processes and undermines the\u2063 trust of the American people in their electoral system. By <a title=\"Wisconsin Senator Documents Big Tech Rigging The 2022 Election Against Republicans\" href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-senator-documents-big-tech-rigging-the-2022-election-against-republicans\/\">manipulating public opinion<\/a>, spreading disinformation, and tampering with voting\u2063 systems, foreign adversaries can influence \u200cthe outcome of elections and erode the fundamental principles of democracy.<\/p>\n<p>The 2016 presidential election serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of\u2064 election interference. The Russian government&#8217;s attempts to interfere in the\u200c election \u2062through disinformation campaigns, hacking, and spreading propaganda eroded public trust in the electoral process. \u200dIt highlighted vulnerabilities in the election infrastructure and raised concerns about foreign interference in future elections.<\/p>\n<p>Foreign adversaries, such as Russia, China, and Iran, have \u200bdemonstrated their capabilities and willingness to interfere\u2062 in\u2062 democratic processes\u2063 globally. They employ \u2064a range of tactics, \u2062including cyberattacks,\u2063 social media manipulation,\u2064 and spreading false narratives, to sow discord and <a title=\"Adam Schiff asserts Trump won't willingly leave office if reelected\" href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/adam-schiff-says-trump-absolutely-would-not-leave-office-voluntarily-if-reelected\/\">exploit existing divisions<\/a> within society. These actions can amplify existing political polarization,\u2063 undermine voter confidence, \u200band disrupt the functioning \u200cof democratic systems.<\/p>\n<h3>Safeguarding Elections and \u200bNational Security<\/h3>\n<p>The\u2064 threat of \u200celection interference requires \u2063a comprehensive and coordinated response from various stakeholders, including government agencies, political parties, technology companies, and civil society organizations.<\/p>\n<p>Government agencies, such as the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), play a critical role in identifying\u2064 and mitigating election\u200c interference threats. Enhanced coordination and information sharing \u2062among these agencies are necessary to effectively counter foreign adversaries&#8217; attempts to undermine democratic processes. Investments \u200din cybersecurity infrastructure and resources are crucial to \u200dsafeguarding election systems against potential cyberattacks.<\/p>\n<p>Political parties\u200d should prioritize election security and resilience by implementing robust cybersecurity \u2064measures, conducting \u200bregular audits of election machinery, and promoting transparency in\u200c campaign financing. It\u200b is imperative for parties\u2062 to work together to establish a united front against\u2063 foreign interference, regardless of partisan differences.<\/p>\n<p>Technology companies, like Meta and other <a title=\"The New Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen Recently Wrote an Essay on Foreign Influence in US Elections \u2013 This Tells Us A Little About His Knowledge of What\u2019s Going On Today\" href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-new-acting-attorney-general-jeff-rosen-recently-wrote-an-essay-on-foreign-influence-in-us-elections-this-tells-us-a-little-about-his-knowledge-of-whats-going-on-today\/\">social media platforms<\/a>, bear a shared responsibility in preventing the spread\u200d of disinformation and false narratives. They should strengthen their content moderation policies and algorithms\u200b to \u2064combat the dissemination of\u2063 harmful and misleading content. Transparency in online political advertising and\u2062 efforts \u2062to identify and remove fake accounts are essential \u200bto ensuring a fair and informed electoral process.<\/p>\n<p>Civil society organizations and advocacy groups also have a critical role to play in raising awareness about election interference and advocating for reforms to strengthen democratic institutions. They can promote voter education, advocate for campaign finance reforms, and monitor \u200delection processes to ensure their integrity.<\/p>\n<h3>The Way Forward<\/h3>\n<p>Protecting the integrity of elections is not only a matter of national security but also crucial\u2064 for\u200c upholding the principles of democracy. As \u200cthe\u2063 2024 elections approach, it is imperative that all\u200b stakeholders remain vigilant and take proactive \u200cmeasures to prevent\u200c foreign interference.<\/p>\n<p>Efforts to strengthen\u200c election security should go \u200bbeyond individual electoral cycles\u200d and become a collective responsibility to protect democratic processes from foreign adversaries. By working together, the United States can ensure that elections remain a cornerstone of American democracy, free from external influence and manipulation.<\/p>\n<p>Public trust \u200bin\u200b the electoral system can be restored through transparent processes, robust \u200dcybersecurity measures, and \u2062concerted efforts to combat disinformation. \u200dBy safeguarding elections,\u2063 the United States can safeguard its national security and uphold the values of democracy for future generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that the national security community is intently concerned about potential election meddling in the 2024 elections. Wray, who has led the FBI since 2017, emphasized that foreign adversaries have made efforts to interfere in our elections, a fact widely acknowledged and ongoing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2124707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"FBI intently focused on outside influence risk in 2024 election","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2124706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"FBI intently focused on outside influence risk in 2024 election","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2124706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2124706"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2124706\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2124707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2124706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2124706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2124706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}