Klobuchar and Wyden ask the FBI if the agency ever investigated a possible hack on Florida election software
Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), like many of their colleagues, are still not satisfied with the results of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on the investigation into 2016 Russian election interference. But the two Democrats are homing in on one aspect, in particular — the FBI's response to the possible hacking of a Florida election software company.
Klobuchar and Wyden sent a joint letter to the FBI on Wednesday, Politico reports. The senators want to know more about the FBI's handling of VR Systems, a Florida-based manufacturer of voter registration software and electronic pollbooks — the company discovered that suspicious IP addresses had visited their website in 2016, spurring them to contact law enforcement, as requested. The senators asked in the letter if the FBI examined VR Systems' services for a successful cyber breach, potentially orchestrated by Russian operatives. They added that they would like an explanation if this was not the case. The company has admitted it was targeted by hackers, but has said the attempt was not successful, which has not been publicly confirmed, reports Politico.
Furthermore, the letter seeks answers as to whether the FBI examined VR Systems' electronic pollbooks that malfunctioned during the 2016 election in Durham County, North Carolina, as well as whether the FBI reviewed forensic examinations of the manufacturer's servers, and, finally, how the agency is planning to ensure that similar technology is safe from cyber attacks ahead of the 2020 election. Read the full letter here.
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