The narrative surrounding the 2020 election – that it was the “most secure ever” – is crumbling under the weight of newly revealed intelligence. For years, U.S. intelligence agencies possessed concrete evidence of foreign interference, meticulously documented in raw reports, finished analyses, and even reaching the President’s daily briefing. Yet, this critical information was deliberately concealed.
A stunning Ombudsman letter details how China appeared to be shielded from scrutiny. Analysts’ warnings regarding Chinese activity were dismissed or downplayed, treated differently than similar concerns about Russia or Iran. The very definitions of “influence” and “interference” seemed to shift depending on the nation involved, creating a dangerous double standard.
The reports reveal a chilling reality: Chinese intelligence operatives successfully obtained voter registration data from multiple states. This wasn’t just names and addresses; it included sensitive personal information like social security numbers and driver’s license details – precisely the data the Department of Justice is now actively seeking. This access provided a pathway for potential manipulation on a massive scale.
Adding another layer of complexity is the story of the “ALBERT Sensor,” a nationwide intrusion detection system rapidly deployed in 2017. Designed to safeguard county elections, questions now arise: did ALBERT fail to detect breaches during the 2020 election, or have states actively concealed intrusions from their citizens? The silence is deafening.
Declassified documents, including a redacted April 2020 Cyber Operations Assessment and a March 2021 report on foreign threats, paint a disturbing picture. The Intelligence Community also withheld information about a covert Chinese operation: the manufacturing and importation of counterfeit driver’s licenses into the United States.
These weren’t random forgeries. They were specifically designed for Chinese nationals residing in various states, intended to facilitate fraudulent voting via mail-in ballots. In July 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized nearly 20,000 of these fake licenses at O’Hare International Airport – licenses with fully functional barcodes. This discovery was never publicly disclosed.
An August 2020 intelligence report detailing this plot was mysteriously recalled by intelligence agencies, coinciding with FBI Director Chris Wray’s public assertion that there were “no known election plots.” The timing raises serious questions about deliberate obfuscation and a coordinated effort to mislead the American public.
The evidence now suggests China possesses the capability to create fake ballots, manufacture convincing counterfeit identification, access critical voter records, and leverage a network of individuals willing to undermine the integrity of U.S. elections. Yet, when China compromised voter data in 2020, Democratic states refused to cooperate with the Department of Justice, citing privacy concerns – a convenient excuse that rings hollow.
The ALBERT Sensor, initially conceived around 2011, operates as a “black box” installed on county election networks. It collects data and transmits it to a nonprofit organization in New York, theoretically alerting jurisdictions to malicious activity. However, its effectiveness is questionable, and counties have limited visibility into its operations.
Just weeks before the 2017 inauguration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated elections as “critical infrastructure,” granting itself oversight authority. This led to a collaboration between the nonprofit Center for Internet Security (CIS), the DHS cybersecurity unit CISA, and the Election Infrastructure Government Council – all heavily reliant on DHS funding. These are the same organizations later accused of censoring dissenting voices regarding election concerns.
DHS aggressively pushed for ALBERT Sensor installations, capitalizing on fears surrounding Russian interference. Counties were given no dashboards to monitor activity, no reports detailing observations, and minimal understanding of the system’s inner workings. Access came at a price: CISA gained access to sensitive network configurations and security settings.
By 2018, ALBERT deployments had quadrupled, yet DHS officials admitted the system had detected no intrusions in any state throughout the entire year. This raises a fundamental question: is a cybersecurity system truly effective if it merely observes an attack without actively preventing it?
The limitations of ALBERT became tragically apparent in Washington state. Lincoln and Okanogan counties were both hit by ransomware attacks, yet neither the system nor the Center for Internet Security provided any warning. Faced with these failures, Ferry County, with a population of just 7,000, voted to terminate its contract and remove the devices.
The decision sparked a retaliatory campaign by NPR, which launched aggressive attacks against Ferry County staff, seemingly intent on intimidating others from following suit. Why was a national news organization so invested in protecting these mysterious DHS servers? What were they hiding?
The monitoring center for ALBERT is operated by the Center for Internet Security, located in a secluded area of rural New York. Meanwhile, the New York Times publicly defended CISA, lamenting staff reductions while conveniently omitting its role in censoring citizens and potentially enabling foreign election interference. The narrative control is palpable.
