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Vol. I · No. 4 Monday, June 15, 2026 · Evening Edition Price: Free

FBI searches office of Ohio group that supports voter registration efforts

FBI agents searched the Cleveland office of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative on Thursday, seizing documents and computer files. Prentiss Haney, a board member of the grassroots organization, stated that agents spent hours questioning staff and visited the homes of people who have worked with the group to seek information regarding alleged voter fraud. Haney characterized the actions as “intimidation tactics and harassment,” expressing concern that the investigation aims to create doubt in upcoming elections. While the specific focus of the probe remains unclear, a person familiar with the matter told ABC News that investigators are examining potential fraud violations. The Ohio Organizing Collaborative, founded in 2007, describes its mission as advocating for criminal justice reform, racial justice, and expanded voting rights. The Justice Department declined to comment on the search, and a spokesperson for the FBI in Cleveland did not respond to requests for comment. The search is part of a broader series of actions by the Trump administration regarding voting and election operations. The Justice Department has sued at least 30 states and the District of Columbia for refusing to provide detailed voter data, including dates of birth and partial Social Security numbers. The department stated it is seeking this information to comply with a March 2025 executive order to ensure states have effective voter registration and maintenance programs. However, several federal judges have dismissed the DOJ’s litigation, with one judge describing it as a “fishing expedition.” Democratic nominees for Ohio’s top races, Dr. Amy Acton and Sherrod Brown, issued statements expressing concern over the raid. Acton called any attempts to intimidate eligible voters “unacceptable,” while Brown called on the FBI to make all activities surrounding the raids public. The FBI has also seized records from the 2020 and 2024 elections in several battleground states and has questioned election workers in Wisconsin.

Sources

ABC News · NBC News