Multiple Ohio Democrats have denounced an FBI search of a liberal voting rights organization’s office in Cleveland.
The federal investigation, which reportedly centers on alleged voter fraud, concerns the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Established in 2007, the grassroots group says its mission is to “organize everyday Ohioans, building transformative power organizations for racial, social, and economic justice.”
The FBI raid unfolded Thursday as Prentiss Haney, a board member and strategic adviser for the organization, claimed the Trump administration intended to intimidate the OOC ahead of the midterm elections.
“It’s clear that this administration is fishing to try to drum up stories around fraud,” Haney told NBC News. “It’s clear that this administration is trying to target civil rights leaders and community leaders and folks who are doing that work because they don’t see a path for themselves to actually legitimately hold power beyond this year.”
Democratic politicians and candidates in Ohio made similar accusations against the administration. Chief among its critics was Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH), who represents parts of Cleveland in Ohio’s 11th District.
Brown accused President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel of leading “a systematic effort … to attack our elections and perpetuate more myths of voter fraud.”
“My office has contacted the FBI demanding information, and I am deeply concerned that this is an effort to use federal law enforcement to intimidate and halt voter registration and organizing efforts,” she said in a statement. “This is an unprecedented attack on democracy: these raids must end immediately.”
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, a Democrat, also weighed in on the reported raid.
“Ohioans deserve answers,” he said. “If there is a legitimate basis for these actions, it should be disclosed. If not, the public has every right to question whether civic participation is being unfairly targeted.”
Democrat Amy Acton, who is running against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy for Ohio governor in November, said she was “deeply troubled” by the news.
“Any attempts by federal law enforcement to intimidate eligible Ohioans from registering to vote are unacceptable,” Acton said. “Both Republicans and Democrats attest to the security of Ohio’s elections, and it is important that eligible Ohio voters feel safe registering to vote and casting their ballots this November.”
Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who is running for the Senate again this year, claimed the federal government is “silencing Ohioans and their ability to vote in free and fair elections” by investigating a group that supports voter registration efforts.
“For years, Ohio has had safe and secure elections that have been administered in a bipartisan fashion,” he said. “Any attempt to intimidate Ohio voters is wrong, and will not work.”
The FBI Cleveland field office confirmed the OOC was the subject of federal law enforcement activity, but no further details have been provided about the investigation.
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Since Trump returned to office last year, the Justice Department has taken a closer look at voter fraud in line with Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of election fraud in 2020.
The DOJ has sued at least 30 states and Washington, D.C., to gain access to their respective voter rolls. So far, the department’s attempts to force the handover of such data have been unsuccessful in court. Ohio avoided a federal lawsuit by providing a complete statewide voter registration list that includes sensitive personal information, such as driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.
