Allegations of Unauthorized Scans of Georgia Voting Systems are Unsubstantiated

A forensic investigation by the Office of Inspector has determined Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees did not conduct unauthorized scans of Georgia’s elections computer systems. The investigation was requested by Congress based on concerns raised by Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who cited 10 suspected attempts by DHS personnel to penetrate the state’s firewall in 2016.

In a letter to Rep. Trey Gowdy, Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. Jody Hice, Inspector General John Roth reported that DHS employee interactions with the Georgia systems were limited to routine searches for publically available information on the state’s public website and that none of the web pages visited were related to elections or voters.

The investigation was conducted by employees in OIG’s specially trained Digital Forensics and Analysis Unit.