FBI in NJ ramps up efforts to stop election meddling in 2020

Three years ago the Russian government meddled in the U.S. presidential election.

The next presidential election is more than 11 months away but the FBI is already stepping up efforts to make sure election security is not compromised.

According to Greg Ehrie, special agent in charge of the FBI in New Jersey, this is a front-burner issue.

“We’ve task-forced, or joined up with our local and state partners, and are looking very closely at trying to get ahead of that," he said.

He said specifics about data being analyzed cannot be disclosed but they are working to “make sure in the state of New Jersey and on the federal side across the country that we are co-joined with our partners, that we are studying the issue and that we’re bringing any threats and mitigating them as quickly as we see them.”

The FBI says it has not seen anything in New Jersey that is "a high degree of concern," Ehrie said. But that could always change.

He said if any resident has information about election irregularities — and "nothing is too trivial" — they should call the local police department.

“We are looking, we are working with our partners and we’re watching both overseas actors and anybody on a local or state front," Ehrie said.

“Election fraud or election meddling will not be tolerated. We will find the folks that are trying or attempting to do this and we will bring them to the bar of justice.”

You can contact reporter David Matthau at David.Matthau@townsquaremedia.com

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