Warner Cautions Congress on the Role of Federal Agencies in Elections

Charleston, W.Va. – Over the last 14 months, WV Secretary of State Mac Warner has been sharing concerns and drawing attention to the impact current and former federal officials had in improperly influencing American voters in the 2020 election. Courts have ruled that several states’ actions exceeded their legislative authority to change election rules and deadlines. However, recent disclosure of internal records demonstrates that the presidential campaign of Joe Biden intentionally fabricated and engaged in a disinformation campaign intended to influence the 2020 presidential election.

On April 27th, Secretary Warner appeared before Congress to affirmatively assert his position. Secretary Warner is a constitutional attorney who served more than 23 years in the United States Army. He then spent five years in Afghanistan leading over one-hundred lawyers and interpreters in the implementation of the world’s largest rule of law program.

Secretary Warner is also a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point where the cadet honor code is "A West Point Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.” The non-toleration clause is particularly important in this case.

Federal agencies, most particularly the FBI, stood knowingly and silently by while a presidential candidate’s campaign created a disinformation campaign that was perpetrated by former federal intelligence agents against the people of the United States.

In his continued effort to prevent current and former federal officials from ever improperly interfering with any future election, Secretary Warner is asking Congress to act now to prevent these agencies from ever allowing a coordinated disinformation campaign from influencing the outcome of a future presidential election.

On April 27th, Secretary Warner testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration on the issue of confidence in American elections. He was the only Secretary of State invited to testify. West Virginia has been recognized throughout the nation for its innovation and leadership in election access, security, transparency, and voter list maintenance.

During his testimony before the Committee at the hearing held in Washington, D.C., Warner commented on recent revelations that former high-ranking national intelligence officers of the CIA, DNI, and NSA purposefully lied to the American people by implying that the Hunter Biden laptop situation was a Russian disinformation campaign. Recently disclosed communication records show that these intelligence officers knew this was a political fabrication, and there was no evidence of Russian involvement. Rather, the presidential campaign of Joe Biden was the originator of the disinformation.

"Records show that the FBI had the laptop in their possession the whole time," Warner said. “Leaders of federal agencies created to protect our American democracy allowed the Biden campaign, assisted by former members of our intelligence community citing their agency credentials, to mislead and lie to the American people. They stood tolerantly by and did nothing,” Warner said.

The opening of Secretary Warner’s additional testimony is summarized with, "I will begin with the more nuanced 'finger on the scale' type of improprieties, and move to the most blatant, insidious disinformation operation conducted on the American people in our election history. In that regard, yes, the 2020 election was stolen, and we cannot allow it to occur again.”

To read Secretary Warner's post-hearing comments filed today with the Congressional Committee, CLICK HERE.

Secretary Warner said that the American people are beginning to understand the depth of his concern. Warner claims "The improper actions of the intelligence officials influenced voters’ preferences at the ballot box, constituting the election as stolen."

"Voters’ confidence in the election process is directly related to the confidence they have in the process through which our government leaders are elected. We expect our government to act with integrity," Warner said.

"Congress must investigate this matter and take legal action against every individual involved in improperly and intentionally interfering with the presidential election of 2020. Without action, voters' expectation of a free and fair election in 2024 wanes by the day. They constructed their lies with the express purpose of improperly influencing the outcome of the 2020 election, and America must know that this will never happen again," Warner told congressional leaders.