Pennsylvania’s Auditor General is expanding the scope of his audit of our state voting system.
Eugene DePasquale says he’s doing so to protect the security and integrity of Pennsylvania’s voting system amid the latest indictments of Russian hackers, who the FBI believes targeted the systems of 21 states in the 2016 election.
“Pennsylvania is currently reviewing options to modernize its election systems, and I want to ensure that any system Pennsylvania may use now and in the future is wholly owned, controlled and managed by a firm with American interests,” DePasquale said Tuesday.
DePasquale’s latest audit expansion comes after the FBI informed officials in Maryland that a Russian oligarch is the largest investor in the company which manages Maryland’s state voter registration system.
“Based on the indictments unveiled last week against Russians who conspired to interfere with our 2016 election and revelations that stolen material about election candidates was distributed in Pennsylvania and other states, I am expanding the scope of my audit outreach to protect Pennsylvania’s election system,” DePasquale said.
DePasquale on Tuesday sent letters to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the three U.S. Attorney’s offices in Pennsylvania to begin discussions on how best to protect the state’s systems against election interference in the future. The new audit outreach will enhance the recommendations in the audit DePasquale announced in June to evaluate the integrity and security of Pennsylvania’s voting system. That audit is based in part on information provided by Homeland Security last year confirming that Pennsylvania was one of 21 states
Russian hackers targeted prior to the 2016 election.
DePasquale also raised alarms about news that Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin is the largest investor in ByteGrid LLC, the company that manages Maryland’s voter registration system.
“I will use my authority to review current vendors to ensure there are no connections to Russia and that processes are in place to make sure this doesn’t happen here. I have always said in my audits that vendor selection is up to the agency, but I want to be clear that there is no room for any contractor with Russian ties to be working on our election systems as allegedly has happened in Maryland.
“The integrity of our entire election system is at stake,” he said. “I will be doing my part to protect America’s and Pennsylvania’s interests. We simply cannot allow Russian operatives or other interference undermine our country’s democratic process.”
Butler County Elections Director Shari Brewer has said in the past that the county’s voting system is a stand-alone system and not connected to the internet, so there is nothing for a hacker to attempt to get into.
The post Auditor General Expands Audit Of State’s Voting System appeared first on ButlerRadio.com – Butler, PA.
