Explosive! State Cyber Elections Contracts Reveal the Scope of the Problem (Spoiler: It’s worse than
Explosive! State Cyber Elections Contracts Reveal the Scope of the Problem (Spoiler: It’s worse than
On Wednesday evening, federal whistleblower and Ohio Secretary of State candidate Terpsehore Maras dropped explosive news on her popular podcast ToreSays.
Since the 2020 elections, many of us have been amplifying our concerns about the centralization of elections. During the 2022 legislative session here in Colorado, the people unsuccessfully fought against Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s power grab through the “Colorado Election Security Act” (SB22-153) which removed county oversight and authority over elections.
But Maras’ disclosure gives Americans focused on election integrity a new reason to be outraged: Our elections are already, effectively, federalized.
In the “Special Report” on the @ToreSays Rumble channel, Maras broke down cyber security agreements from Texas, Colorado, and North Carolina. All three states have signed agreements with CISA, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding with the private subcontractor, “Center for Internet Security, Inc.,” or “CIS.”
CISA and CIS are close acronymns and, for the purposes of public discourse, are used interchangeably.
But CIS is not a government agency. According to the MOU with the Colorado Department of State, “CIS has entered into an agreement with DHS to provide Cybersecurity Services to United SLTTs [all fifty states, local governments, United States territories, and tribal nations (SLTT)], including Cybersecurity Services for certain state election entities…the Entity is one of the state election entities designated to receive Cybersecurity Services.”
Each of the three states highlighted in the report had the exact same agreements with the federal government and their official-sounding third parties, but varied in the parties to the contract.
In Texas, the agreements were signed by a county judge. In North Carolina, the agreements were signed by the County Election Board. And here in Colorado, the agreements were signed by George Zimmerman, Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State and Trevor Timmons, CDOS Chief Information Security Officer.
Perhaps the most concerning aspect of Maras’ Special Report, however, is what is actually in the contracts. Here is a snapshot of the agreement signed by Timmons:
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Entity provides notice to its employees, contractors and other authorized internal network users ("collectively "Computer Users") that contain in sum and substance the following provisions:
- Computer Users have no reasonable expectation of privacy regarding communications or data transiting, stored on or traveling to or from Entity's information system; and
- Any communications or data transiting, stored on or traveling to or from the Entity's information system may be monitored, disclosed or used for any lawful government purpose.
- All Entity Computer Users execute a form of documentation or electronic acceptance acknowledging his/her understanding and consent to the above notice.
- I am authorized to execute this Certification on behalf of Entity.
This agreement is giving CIS, Inc., a private entity, unfettered access to all information on the Colorado Department of State systems. Small business information, unemployment information, population information, licensing and, of course, elections information.
This kind of access to the Colorado Department of State means it’s not only the CDOS employees that, per the signed agreement, have no reasonable expectation of privacy – but every citizen of the state of Colorado.
At the end of her show, Maras asked the audience a question: Did you consent to this?
Article I, Section 4 of the US Constitution lays out the process for determining the manner of our elections – it’s in the hands of the state legislature. The Third and Fourth amendments encapsulate the natural right to a reasonable expectation of privacy from the government – which all Americans possess.
But local, state, and federal government entities stopped revering the US Constitution a long time ago.
While Coloradans spent the spring and early summer fighting against the shift of elections oversight from the counties to the state, what they missed was that Secretary Griswold had already subcontracted her responsibilities to the federal government – long before SB22-153 gave her the authority to do so. This agreement was signed in 2017.
DEMAND FOR REMEDY: The Congress must immediately ban the use of electronic voting equipment and systems, complete a comprehensive investigation into the federalization of elections via third party contracts for critical infrastructure, and deliver justice to the American People for all stolen elections – no matter who it implicates.
In addition to today’s letter to Congress below, Maras issued a call to action for everyone to get their objection to this on the record locally and in their state. Today we are asking that you take your daily action a step further and send both the fax to Congress as well as Mara’s message to your county and state leadership, specifically county judge, county election board, and department of state.
Call to Action from Terpsehore Maras on August 24, 2022:
"Everyone e-mail or send a letter to your state Secretary of State, county election board members, election supervisors, and all other election officials in your respective states and counties, and let them know the following:
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I am aware that in January 2017, shortly before President Donald Trump took office, Jeh Johnson, the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") Advisor who served under former President Barak Hussein Obama, designated election infrastructure as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure as a subsector under the Government Facilities sector.
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This designation purportedly allowed DHS, through its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (“CISA”) with the assistance of the Election Assistance Commission ("EAC"), to provide services on a prioritized basis at the request of state and local election officials; however, it effectively resulted in the federal government improperly usurping the authority of the respective states to manage their own elections in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
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In addition, pursuant to Article I, Section 4 of the United States Constitution, state governments have the primary responsibility to administer elections and enforce election law, with the role of the federal government traditionally being limited to the enforcement of the protections of the Voting Rights Act and the prosecution of individuals who have committed federal election crimes.
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Moreover, I am aware that federal and state election officials across the United States have taken to the process of classifying certain election-related documents as confidential, thus preventing the public from viewing the documents and diminishing the transparency of the election process. While some election officials may argue that such actions are necessary to ensure the safe operation of electronic voting machines, no safety concerns could possibly outweigh the importance of citizens being able to evaluate the integrity and impartiality of the election process by having access to all election-related information and documentation.
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I do not consent to my state delegating its authority to manage and conduct elections to the federal government. The involvement of federal entities, such as DHS and CISA, in state elections is repugnant to both Article I, Section 4 and the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
- If my state's election officials insist that the involvement of federal agencies in my state's elections is necessary to ensure the integrity of electronic voting machines, then my state's election officials should cease the use of such machines in the election process."
The fight for freedom continues to heat up. Get in the gap with us today.
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Here is today’s letter to Congress:
ATTENTION CONGRESS:
I do not consent to the federal takeover of my state’s elections. By way of third party contracts, state entities are delegating their elections authority to the federal government. This involvement of federal entities – such as DHS and CISA – in state elections is repugnant to both Article I, Section 4 and the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The Department of Homeland Security assumed this authority over state elections when the outgoing Obama administration designated election infrastructure as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure as a subsector under the Government Facilities sector.
This designation effectively resulted in the federal government improperly usurping the authority of the respective states to manage their own elections in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Federal and state election officials across the United States have taken to the process of classifying certain election-related documents as confidential, thus preventing the public from viewing the documents and diminishing the transparency of the election process.
This must stop. There is a crisis of public trust in our elections. Your inaction has exacerbated this crisis.
DEMAND FOR REMEDY: The Congress must immediately ban the use of electronic voting equipment and systems, complete a comprehensive investigation into the federalization of elections via third party contracts for critical infrastructure, and deliver justice to the American People for all stolen elections – no matter who it implicates.
We the People demand manipulation-free elections in November! Remember your oath.