FBI is investigating attempted hack into Ohio’s election network

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the attempted hacking of a Lake County, Ohio’s election network, according to a report in The Washington Post.

The publication reported that the attempt was made on May 4, despite the county’s security measures. 

According to Newsmax, the attempted hack was targeted at the office of Republican John Hamercheck who serves as the chairman of the Lake County Board of Commissioners.

“County records show that Hamercheck used his security badge to swipe into the fifth-floor offices multiple times in the roughly six-hour period when someone connected a laptop to the county network on the date of Ohio’s spring primary elections,” Newsmax reported. 

The publication went on to report that both state and county officials reviewed their at-risk data and indicated that no sensitive data was obtained during the break-in.

”I’m aware of no criminal activity,” Hamercheck said regarding the attempted breach. ”I have absolute confidence in our board of elections and our IT people.”

Frank LaRose, an investigator for the office of Ohio Secretary of State said he believes that the virtual break-in was likely facilitated by someone in the Lake County election network.

“The incident bears a striking resemblance to an alleged security hack in May in Mesa County, in western Colorado,” Newsmax reported. 

Jena Griswold, the Colorado Secretary of State, was the one to alert federal cybersecurity officials at the Department of Homeland Security of the supposed intrusion at that time, and it prompted a criminal investigation. 

According to The Associated Press, the FBI has joined in on the inquiry as to what the circumstances of the attempted tampering were. 

Officials for the election board in Colorado have accused Tina Peters, the clerk in Mesa County of covertly bringing an outsider into the elections office to copy their hard drives, according to recent reports. 

Currently, Douglas Frank, an activist that has worked with MyPillow executive Mike Lindell on election security reports, is being accused of a connection with the two events. 

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