FBI
title: "FBI — Federal Bureau of Investigation"
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Federal Law Enforcement Agency |
| Jurisdiction | United States |
| Election Crimes Branch | Yes |
| Director during 2020 Election | Christopher Wray |
| Evidence Rating | DEBATED |
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for investigating election crimes in the United States. Through its Election Crimes Branch, the FBI coordinates with federal prosecutors and state authorities to address allegations of voter fraud, ballot tampering, and related offenses. During the 2020 general election and its aftermath, the FBI found itself at the center of intense controversy — accused by election integrity advocates of failing to aggressively pursue credible evidence of fraud, while simultaneously being cited by officials as confirmation that the election was secure.
The FBI operates under the authority of the Department of Justice and has jurisdiction over federal election crimes, including those involving absentee and mail-in ballots, voting machine tampering, registration fraud, and coercion. The Election Crimes Branch works in conjunction with the Public Integrity Section of the DOJ Criminal Division. According to the FBI's published guidelines, election fraud investigations are subject to strict protocols to avoid the appearance of political interference, particularly in the weeks immediately preceding an election.
On election night 2020, the FBI's Cyber Division is reported to have monitored election infrastructure, working alongside the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The bureau's infrastructure monitoring was focused primarily on foreign threats, according to official statements, and officials reported no successful foreign intrusion into vote-tallying systems.
== Role in 2020 Election Security ==
According to public statements and congressional testimony, the FBI coordinated with state election officials, the Department of Homeland Security, and CISA throughout the 2020 election cycle to monitor for both domestic and foreign threats. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee in September 2020 that Russia was the primary foreign election interference threat, while also acknowledging activity from China and Iran.
The FBI reportedly had field offices on standby on election night to receive and respond to incoming reports of election irregularities. Election integrity advocates have alleged, however, that field agents who sought to open investigations into post-election fraud claims were reportedly discouraged from doing so at the supervisory and headquarters level. These allegations remain unproven and are disputed by the bureau.
CISA Director Chris Krebs, working in coordination with the FBI, issued a joint statement in November 2020 calling the 2020 election "the most secure in American history." This statement became one of the most cited official conclusions refuting widespread fraud claims.
== Documented Investigations ==
Erie, Pennsylvania — USPS Ballot Backdating: According to documented reports, USPS postal worker Richard Hopkins alleged in November 2020 that his postmaster, Robert Weisenbach, instructed carriers to backdate late mail-in ballots to November 3 so they would appear timely. Hopkins provided a sworn affidavit to Project Veritas, which published it. The FBI interviewed Hopkins. According to subsequent reporting, Hopkins recanted his affidavit during the interview — a claim Hopkins himself later disputed, saying he was pressured during the interview and did not truly recant. The Justice Department reportedly did not pursue charges related to the backdating allegation. The full investigative record has not been made public. See 2020 USPS Ballot Backdating for the complete profile.
Antrim County, Michigan: Following reported discrepancies in vote tabulation in Antrim County, Michigan, the FBI reportedly participated in a review of election equipment. A hand recount and audit conducted by Michigan authorities confirmed the certified results. An independent forensic audit of Dominion Voting Systems equipment in Antrim County, commissioned by a state court order, produced a contested report by Allied Security Operations Group that claimed significant error rates. Michigan officials and Dominion disputed those findings. No federal charges were filed.
Fulton County, Georgia — Claimed Raid: A claim circulated on X (formerly Twitter), attributed to the account @Real_RobN (cited in April 2026 in connection with the Sidney Powell vindication narrative), alleging that the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence conducted or authorized a "raid" on Fulton County, Georgia in November 2020 in connection with allegedly counterfeit ballots. This claim has not been confirmed by official government sources. The FBI has not publicly acknowledged any such operation. The claim is attributed to Sidney Powell supporters as part of a broader narrative that her allegations are being posthumously vindicated. This claim should be treated as unverified and attributed to those specific sources until confirmed by official records.
== Claims of Inaction or Cover-Up ==
Election integrity advocates allege that the FBI received substantial evidence of fraud in multiple swing states following the 2020 election and declined to investigate in good faith. Specifically, critics have alleged:
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That FBI field agents in several states reportedly sought to open formal investigations into fraud allegations but were blocked by supervisors. These allegations have been made by unnamed sources cited in conservative media; the FBI denies them.
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That the bureau declined to subpoena election records, voting machines, or chain-of-custody documentation in jurisdictions where fraud was alleged, according to claims made by attorneys including Sidney Powell and others associated with the Trump legal team.
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That the FBI's public posture — coordinating with CISA to declare the election secure — was premature and functioned as political cover rather than an evidence-based conclusion, according to election integrity advocates.
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That the FBI's investigation of Richard Hopkins in Pennsylvania was conducted in a manner designed to discredit his testimony rather than investigate the underlying allegation, according to Hopkins and his supporters.
All of these claims are disputed by the FBI and by independent election security officials. They have not been established as fact in any court proceeding or independent investigation.
== Counterarguments ==
The FBI's official position is that the 2020 election was secure and that no evidence of widespread fraud sufficient to alter the outcome was identified. The bureau points to the following in support of that position:
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Over 60 post-election lawsuits challenging results were dismissed by courts, including by judges appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents.
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The Department of Justice, under Attorney General William Barr — a Trump appointee — announced in December 2020 that the DOJ and FBI had found no evidence of widespread fraud sufficient to change the election outcome.
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Hand recounts in Georgia, Wisconsin, and other contested states confirmed the certified results.
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CISA, co-led in coordination with the FBI's infrastructure monitoring, certified the election as secure.
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The Senate Intelligence Committee's bipartisan investigation of election security threats did not produce findings of domestic fraud on the scale alleged.
Critics of the FBI's position argue that the bureau's conclusions rest on the absence of prosecution rather than the absence of evidence, and that the scope of investigation was insufficient to rule out the claims made.
== Related Pages ==
== Sources ==
- FBI Election Crimes Branch — official FBI website: https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/election-crimes-and-security
- AG Barr December 2020 statement on election fraud: Associated Press reporting, December 1, 2020
- CISA/FBI joint statement on 2020 election security, November 12, 2020
- Senate Judiciary Committee testimony, Christopher Wray, September 24, 2020
- Richard Hopkins affidavit and subsequent reporting: Project Veritas (November 2020); Washington Post (November 2020)
- Antrim County forensic audit report, Allied Security Operations Group, December 2020
- Michigan Secretary of State response to Antrim County audit findings, December 2020
This information was compiled by Claude AI research.