FBI Visits Milwaukee County Elections Director

Milwaukee County Courthouse. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

Milwaukee County Elections Director Michelle Hawley received a visit at her private residence Wednesday from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

A representative of the federal law enforcement agency visited Hawley and left her card, according to a statement from Milwaukee County Clerk George L. Christenson. The FBI recently launched an investigation into the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to earlier reporting.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the results of the election were manipulated and that he won the presidency in 2020. A recount of the 2020 election results in Wisconsin confirmed Joe Biden won the state.

“We will be following up to determine the nature of this visit. It is unfortunate that the FBI chose to visit the private residence of Milwaukee County’s Elections Director rather than contact the Election Commission’s office directly,” Christensen said in a statement. “No dedicated public servant should be subjected to that type of intrusion simply for carrying out her responsibilities with integrity and professionalism.”

The 2020 presidential election was fair, transparent and the results accurate, Christenson said. Numerous reviews of the election, including the post-election canvass, recount, court challenges and several audits, including a forensic audit by the Wisconsin’s Legislative Audit Bureau have confirmed this. “Continuing to relitigate settled questions does not strengthen public confidence in elections but it undermines it,” Christenson said.

“While we cooperate with all legitimate law enforcement actions, we will defend against any attack on our democracy and will defend the rights of voters of Milwaukee County,” Christenson said. “Our responsibility as election officials is to safeguard the integrity of the process through facts, transparency, and adherence to the law, and the record clearly demonstrates that those standards were met in 2020.”

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley also released a statement Wednesday. “President Trump’s ongoing attempts to relitigate the 2020 election, which he lost, have crossed a line if he is sending FBI agents to the private residence of Milwaukee County’s elections director,” Crowley said. “Milwaukee County officials will always cooperate with law enforcement officers and the investigations they are pursuing, but this action raises serious concerns of intimidation.”

Hawley joined the Milwaukee County Election Commission in 2020 after working for the Wisconsin Election Commission. She served as deputy election commissioner until 2022, stepping into the lead role after Julietta Henry left to take a job as Deputy Director of Elections and Registration in DeKalb County, Georgia.