FBI Raids Offices Of Ohio Voter Registration Group That Fought GOP Redistricting Efforts

Legal Issues

from the more-vindictive-prosecutions-in-the-works dept

Just once I’d like to see this administration engage in the slightest bit of subtlety. Just once. It would be a refreshing change from literally everything it has done during this current iteration.

Sure, it’s easier to prove actions are vindictive if they’re transparently vindictive. On the other hand, too many courts and judges (which would be any number greater than “zero”) still pretend the Trump administration is acting in good faith, even when the administration makes it blatantly clear that it isn’t.

There’s another election on the horizon. And Trump/MAGA aren’t entirely sure they’ll be able to maintain their majorities, so we’re seeing a bunch of mid-term redistricting, executive orders on mail-in ballots, and pretty much anything else the Trump administration thinks might (1) skew the results in its favor or (2) allow it to engage in second round of election denialism, but with the threat of government/non-government violence behind it.

That’s why voter records were seized in Georgia. It’s belated revenge against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger, who refused to “find” the 12,000 pro-Trump votes needed to swing the 2020 election in Trump’s favor.

And that’s why the FBI has just raided the offices of an Ohio group that’s instrumental in getting residents registered to vote.

Federal law enforcement officials on Thursday raided the offices of an Ohio organizing group that ran one of the state’s biggest 2024 voter registration efforts, seizing computers and other materials from the group’s Cleveland office, according to people familiar with the law enforcement action.

[…]

The warrants executed Thursday appeared to focus on the group’s 2024 voter registration efforts, according to the people familiar with the action. Prentiss Haney, a former executive director of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative who sits on the group’s board, said that around 25 FBI agents arrived at the office to seize the devices.

The DOJ has refused to comment on the raid, other than saying the usual stuff about the warrant being signed by a judge… as if that were evidence in and of itself of the raid’s lawfulness. It certainly says nothing about the perception it creates, which would be just more vindictive activity from people who should fucking know better.

Not only did the FBI raid the group’s offices, but dozens of federal officers from the FBI and HSI (Homeland Security Investigation) wandered around the state (without warrants or subpoenas) to hassle members of the organization at their homes, presumably in hopes of scoring a few warrantless searches/arrests.

Supposedly, this has something to do with registering people who aren’t allowed to vote (read: immigrants). And this did happen nearly a decade ago.

In 2017, a canvasser working for the Ohio Organizing Collaborative pleaded guilty to state charges of fraudulently registering more than three dozen people to vote. 

But that has all been adjudicated and we’ve had two presidential elections since then. No further allegations have been raised about the OOC or credible accusations made about recent registration fraud.

While the DOJ may try to pretend a case it has already closed justifies another bite of this apple, the real reason for this current raid is more than likely something that isn’t actually illegal. It’s just something Trump and his administration officials don’t like:

The group registered more than 100,000 Ohioans to vote in the 2024 elections and was active in organizing against Republicans’ 2025 redistricting efforts in the state.

Now, you may recall that Donald Trump won the 2024 election. Given that, it seems incredibly stupid to claim there’s a bunch of voter fraud going on that needs to be dealt with. Even if true (which it certainly isn’t), it didn’t prevent Trump from being elected. One could even make the argument that any election fraud may have helped Trump retake the White House after being forced to take a four-year break from ruining the country.

Useful idiot/MAGA acolyte Secretary of State Frank LaRose claims he has referred “1,200 criminal cases” alleging voting fraud to the DOJ. And, once again, one has to wonder why someone might do this in a state where Trump secured 55% of the popular vote in the last election… unless all of these MAGA idiots think the GOP won’t be nearly as successful in upcoming elections. But this is the same Frank LaRose who thinks 60% of the vote should be the minimum needed to pass voter initiatives (especially ones in support of abortion rights), but has no problem with Trump’s 55% score in the last election.

Once again, this is a purely vindictive move from an administration pretty much solely defined by its vengeful activities. Even if this goes nowhere, it will have served its purpose: reminding people opposed to Trump that Trump holds the power and he’s more than willing to abuse it.

Filed Under: doj, fbi, gop, ohio, trump administration, vindictive prosecution, voter suppression