Fake bomb threats from Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin came from Russian emails

Individuals using Russian email domains called fake bomb threats into polling stations throughout battleground states on Tuesday, federal and state law enforcement said, in an apparent attempt to disrupt or delay the vote in Democratic areas.

A law enforcement official told McClatchy that the states involved in the Russian effort are Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, and Wisconsin. But while the threats came from Russian email domains, it is not yet clear if the individuals behind them were Russian nationals, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said Tuesday night, noting that the threats did not affect the ability of voters to cast their votes.

Officials with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, alongside other intelligence and law enforcement officials, have assessed that Moscow prefers the Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, win the election against his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.

In a statement earlier on Tuesday afternoon, the FBI said it was “aware of bomb threats to polling locations in several states, many of which appear to originate from Russian email domains. None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far.”

“Election integrity is among the FBI’s highest priorities,” the agency said. “We will continue to work closely with our state and local law enforcement partners to respond to any threats to our elections and to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote.”

This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 7:57 PM with the headline "Fake bomb threats from Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin came from Russian emails."