President Donald Trump has recently put forth a nomination for Sean Plankey, a cybersecurity executive, to head the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). This agency was established to defend America’s vital infrastructure, yet it has drawn criticism from Republicans concerning its engagement in election matters.
Sean Plankey is a retired member of the U.S. Coast Guard as of 2023, and his nomination took place on Tuesday. He has previously served during Trump’s first term as a director for cyber policy at the National Security Council and subsequently as the principal deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy.
CISA was created in 2018 under the initial Trump administration, with its mission to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure, encompassing dams, nuclear facilities, and voting systems. Though part of the Department of Homeland Security, CISA operates independently with a Senate-confirmed leader.
The agency’s inaugural director, Chris Krebs, was dismissed by Trump after he supported a statement made by election officials declaring the 2020 election as the “most secure in American history.” At that time, Trump was disputing his defeat to Joe Biden and was spreading unfounded allegations of extensive electoral fraud.
CISA has been praised by numerous state and local election officials across both the Trump and Biden administrations. However, some Republicans continue to express discontent regarding its measures to counter misleading information concerning the 2020 election and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kristi Noem, Trump’s newly appointed homeland security secretary, stated during her January confirmation hearing that CISA had diverged from its primary mission, pledging to collaborate with senators to address the agency’s scope.
CISA officials have maintained that they did not participate in censorship but only assisted states in notifying social media platforms about misinformation. The agency has clarified that it neither directed nor compelled these companies to take specific actions.
During the 2024 election cycle, CISA, alongside other federal agencies, warned the public about assorted foreign misinformation efforts, such as three false videos linked to Russia suggesting electoral misconduct in key states.
Under the renewed Trump administration, CISA has embarked on a review of its electoral-related activities and placed several employees, who were involved in election work, on administrative leave. Additionally, the agency has unveiled plans to reduce funding by around $10 million from two cybersecurity initiatives, including one specifically aimed at supporting state and local election officials.
In correspondence dated Tuesday, the National Association of Secretaries of State was informed by Noem that existing programs would continue to offer support traditionally provided by CISA. This encompasses security assessments against cyber threats and physical assaults, as well as planning for potential scenarios that election offices might face.
The bipartisan executive board of the association had previously urged Noem to maintain CISA’s assistance to state and local election bodies.
