The FBI has warned that conspiracy theorists could disrupt the US presidential election next week.
Authorities at the agency have written a Joint Intelligence Bulletin with the Department of Homeland Security which is warning state and county police to brace themselves for violent extremists who could pose a threat to the poll on November 5 and throughout the period leading up to Inauguration Day.
The report seen by NBC News reads that candidates, elected officials, election workers, members of the media and judges handling election cases could become targets of abuse and intimidation. Other risks that have been forewarned include physical attacks and violence at polling stations, ballot drop boxes, voter registration locations and at rallies.
In 2020, vote counts were targeted by Donald Trump supporters who held rallies and demos in the days following the US election after the then-president refused to concede the result. The ex-president also wrongly claimed there had been widespread voter fraud against him – sparking mass protests.
Crowds that gathered were seen to chant “stop the steal” or “stop the count” after rumours spread online of ‘stuffed ballots’ and falsified mail-in votes for Joe Biden, The Mirror reports.
Others demonstrated outside the private homes of local county officials. The protests continued for several weeks before reaching a disastrous climax on January 6, 2021 when six people died and lawmakers were forced to hide as angry crowds attempted to storm the US Capitol to prevent the electoral college from being formalised.
Recent statements from the FBI have also highlighted the risk posed to domestic US politics by foreign governments in the run-up to election day. On Friday, officials said Russia was likely behind a widely circulated video falsely depicting mail-in ballots for Donald Trump being destroyed in Pennsylvania.
The video was shared on social media on Thursday but was debunked within three hours by local election officials and law enforcement after members of the public reported it. US officials said in a statement sent by the FBI that they believe the video was “manufactured and amplified” by Russian actors.
The officials said it is part of “Moscow’s broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the US election and stoke divisions among Americans”. The information was released in a joint statement by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Researchers who closely analyse Russian disinformation had previously connected the video to a Russian disinformation network known as Storm-1516 or CopyCop. The network has previously shared numerous videos with false claims about Ms Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.
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