TL/DR –
Kurt Olsen, a conservative lawyer who propagated false claims about Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, has been appointed the Trump administration’s “director of election security and integrity,” raising concerns among critics. During Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, Olsen was involved in legal efforts and has been working with law enforcement and intelligence officials since joining the White House in October to re-investigate the allegations. Olsen’s involvement in a recent FBI raid of a Georgia elections office and his potential influence over future elections are causing alarm, with critics fearing he may use past election fraud claims to manipulate future elections in Trump’s favor.
Kurt Olsen, Trump’s Midterm Security Chief, Under Scrutiny for Spreading False Election Claims
For years, Kurt Olsen has been spreading false claims about President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss. Now, as Trump shows interest in taking federal control of the November 2026 elections, Olsen has emerged as the administration’s “director of election security and integrity.” This move is raising eyebrows among critics who question whether his past record should disqualify him from such a crucial role.
Olsen, a conservative lawyer and former Navy SEAL, has faced legal sanctions and ethics complaints for spreading “unequivocally false” claims about Trump’s 2020 loss to Joe Biden and Kari Lake’s 2022 gubernatorial defeat in Arizona. He’s been working with law enforcement and intelligence officials to re-investigate Trump’s debunked allegations about 2020, including claims of voter fraud in Georgia and states cheating via mail-in ballots due to COVID-19.
These claims were thoroughly investigated and dismissed by courts and election authorities. At the time, Trump lost 61 of 62 cases in court before his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to interrupt electoral count proceedings on Jan. 6, 2021.
Despite this, Trump has continued to insist that the election was stolen from him, and Olsen’s appointment has raised concerns that he is seeking to advance these false claims to help Trump gain control over future elections.
Olsen’s Role in Georgia FBI Raid
Recently unsealed court documents revealed that the FBI investigation leading to the Jan. 28 raid of a Georgia elections office was based on a criminal referral from Olsen himself. The FBI agent who filed an affidavit for the search warrant highlighted Olsen’s role and some of his claims about 2020.
White House officials usually avoid appearing involved in criminal investigations by the Justice Department and the FBI. However, Olsen’s involvement in this case and the subsequent FBI raid has raised eyebrows.
Olsen’s Work as White House Election Security Czar
Fulton County officials, who deny any significant problems in the 2020 election, asked the court to release the FBI agent’s affidavit to the public, which disclosed Olsen’s role.
The FBI, part of the Department of Justice, seized ballots and other records tied to the 2020 election during the Jan. 28 raid. The move marked a significant escalation of efforts in Trump’s second term to question the results of the 2020 presidential election that Trump lost to then-former Vice President Biden.
Olsen has also been involved in efforts by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the broader U.S. intelligence community to investigate – and bolster – long-debunked claims that foreign interference played a role in Trump having the 2020 election stolen from him.
Trump has specifically appointed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard – present during the Fulton County raid – to lead this effort. According to anonymous sources cited by Politico and NBC News, spy agencies are sharing classified intelligence reporting with Olsen to support his 2020 election probe.
Some Democrats view these efforts as an attempt to use Trump’s claims of past voter fraud to justify an execution of the next election biased in his favor. Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., criticized Gabbard and Olsen for what he said were their ongoing efforts to undermine the results of the 2020 election.
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