Secretaries of State Confront CISA on Its First Broad Election Call: 'Your Boss Says That He Wants to Jail Us'

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency held an hour-long call with state election officials on Aug. 10, hosted by the National Association of Secretaries of State and led by acting director Nick Andersen. PBS NewsHour, citing three sources on the call, reported it was one of CISA's first broad outreach efforts of the cycle, 85 days before Election Day. Several secretaries of state raised Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's threats to prosecute uncooperative election officials; one asked why they should work with the agency "when your boss says that he wants to jail us."

CISA is responsible for supporting the security of state election systems. It has lost about a third of its workforce during this administration, and election-security work has been cut elsewhere in government. Officials on the call said they had already planned around the gaps they see the agency leaving.

CISA committed to security assessments on request, standard practice. Sources called its answers on tabletop exercises, penetration testing and intelligence briefings noncommittal.