Homeland Security Places Election Security Staff on Leave for Review

The Department of Homeland Security is evaluating CISA's election security mission, focusing on misinformation and disinformation efforts.

Seventeen employees from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have been placed on administrative leave as part of a review of the agency's election security efforts.
The review will examine CISA's work related to combating misinformation, disinformation, and foreign influence on U.S. elections.
Among the staff on leave are 10 regional election security specialists who were hired to strengthen election security ahead of the 2024 election.
The personnel changes come as new DHS Secretary Kristi Noem criticized CISA for straying from its core mission and called for a reassessment of its focus.
State election officials from both parties have praised CISA's contributions to election security, emphasizing the importance of its support for local election offices.