WASHINGTON (AP) —Federal law enforcement officials are working around the clock at a command post at FBI headquarters to monitor and respond to any threats surrounding the election.
The FBI runs a command post around every federal election, but this year’s is more “robust” with more federal agencies involved, according to James Barnacle, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
The command post brings officials from the FBI, Justice Department, Secret Service, Capitol Police, Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies together under one roof to allow law enforcement to quickly respond to any threats to election security.
“Those threats include criminal threats — such as threats to election workers — foreign malign influence, cyber threats and acts of domestic violence,” Barnacle said.
Barnacle said federal officials have seen “some foreign malign influence operations,” as well as attempted cyber attacks “where adversaries are trying to hit the secretaries of state or state governments or local governments and cause issues with their infrastructure.”
The command post will operate 24/7 through at least Saturday, Nov. 9, with about 80 people working per shift, he said.