The Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a group that organizes political and voter engagement activities for left-leaning and progressive causes, has been raided by the FBI.
Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC) Board Member Prentiss Haney said FBI agents came to the organization's Northeast Ohio offices yesterday. He said agents have fanned out and questioned people who work with his organization. Haney said agents have searched and sometimes taken laptops and electronic devices as well as interviewed people who work with the organization.
"This is not normal business. I mean there's no reason for over 100 agents to be knocking on the doors of everyday Ohioans,鈥� Haney said. 鈥淒emanding and accusing people of voter fraud as if it was a witch hunt and, and scaring them with the children, following them in their cars to school and to work. I mean this was a full-out assault. I mean, we haven't seen anything like this since Selma. And so this was completely um politically motivated.鈥�
The collaborative does organizing and voter engagement. Haney said the people whom the FBI contacted were told it was in relation to a case of voter fraud. But he said he believes it is political intimidation akin to what happened in Selma, Alabama decades ago.
"When have we ever seen federal forces used to come after civil rights leaders, community organizers, volunteers who are doing voting rights at this scale? So that is very concerning where we are at," Haney said.
Key Democrats are speaking in support of OCC
Former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who is running to return to the Senate in November, said he finds the reports disturbing, calling it "a transparent attempt at silencing Ohioans and their ability to vote in free and fair elections."
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton said in a statement she's deeply troubled by the reports: 鈥淎ny attempts by federal law enforcement to intimidate eligible Ohioans from registering to vote are unacceptable.鈥�
Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde said the OOC also expressed concern over the situation. "With Election Day approaching, it is critical that eligile voters feel confident that they can register, cast a ballot, and participate in our democratic process without fear or confusion," Clyde said in a statement.
Some Democrats in Congress have also come out in support of the OOC and against the raid, including Rep Emilia Sykes (OH-13) and Rep Joyce Beatty (OH-3).
The Brennan Center for Justice's President and CEO Michael Waldman said this "appears to be an outrageous fishing expedition, an attempt to intimidate people working for democracy." Waldman called it an "egregious abuse of law enforcement for political ends" and said it fits a pattern of federal inquiries targeting voting infrastructure ahead of the midterm elections.
Still waiting for comment from the FBI
Dan Lusheck, a spokesman for Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, issued a statement this afternoon.
"We appreciate the work of our federal law enforcement partners and stand ready to continue assisting them at any time. We do not have any additional information to share regarding this investigation," the statement read.
Multiple attempts have been made to get a comment from the FBI, but the agency has not issued a public statement at this point.
This story was updated at 2 p.m. with reactions from candidates and organizations. It was updated again at 5 p.m. with the comment from Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose's office.