In New York, a U.S. Senate committee has voted to move forward with the nomination of Sean Plankey to head the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), an essential part of the Department of Homeland Security that focuses on protecting critical infrastructure, including election systems. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 9-6 in favor, recommending that Plankey’s nomination proceed.
CISA has been navigating challenges such as cuts to its workforce and budget, along with criticism from Republican circles regarding its election-related initiatives. Plankey, having recently retired from the U.S. Coast Guard, held positions during the first Trump administration as a director for cyber policy at the National Security Council and principal deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy.
If confirmed by the Senate, which is under Republican control, Plankey would assume leadership of an agency embroiled in political disputes concerning its role in addressing misinformation about election processes. Since Trump’s unsupported claims of significant fraud following his 2020 election defeat, skepticism about election procedures has increased among Republicans, many of whom continue to doubt President Joe Biden’s legitimate victory.
One hurdle Plankey faces is a hold on his nomination by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who demands the disclosure of a 2022 report on telecommunications vulnerabilities by CISA. Wyden insists the nomination will remain stalled until the report is made public, a move CISA has indicated is forthcoming.
CISA is responsible for safeguarding the nation’s essential infrastructure, encompassing entities from dams and power facilities to financial institutions and voting systems. While praised by state election officials from both parties for its protective efforts, CISA has faced intense criticism from Republicans accusing it of veering into censorship by attempting to curb misinformation concerning elections and the COVID-19 pandemic. At her Senate hearing in January, Kristi Noem, appointed to be Homeland Security Secretary, argued the agency had lost focus on its mission.
CISA officials maintain they did not engage in censorship but assisted states in communicating misinformation concerns to social media platforms. They clarified the agency neither directed nor pressured these companies to take specific actions. Furthermore, CISA collaborated with other federal bodies in 2024 to alert the public to foreign misinformation efforts related to elections.
During his confirmation hearing on July 24, Plankey was probed about election security. When questioned by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., about whether the 2020 election was rigged, Plankey refrained from giving a direct answer, stating he hadn’t reviewed that election’s cybersecurity. However, he did acknowledge that Biden’s victory was legitimized by the Electoral College and he was indeed sworn in.
Blumenthal pressed further, questioning what actions Plankey would take if pressured to falsely claim future elections as rigged by figures such as Trump. Plankey responded by emphasizing the state-managed nature of elections and likened assessing the cybersecurity of all 50 states to a doctor diagnosing a patient merely by watching them on television, a comparison Blumenthal found unsatisfactory and criticized as undermining public trust in the electoral process.
If confirmed, Plankey would lead CISA during a period when the agency is undergoing organizational changes as part of Trump’s second term. These changes include budget and personnel reductions and a temporary halt to election security initiatives pending a Department of Homeland Security review.
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., queried Plankey on how he would ensure the agency meets its legal requirements amidst expected budget cuts and staff departures. Plankey commended CISA’s team for its cybersecurity expertise and leadership, asserting he would facilitate operations, reorganize the agency as necessary, or seek additional funds if required.
The advancement of Plankey’s nomination comes as influential Democrats on committees supervising elections have been urging CISA to clarify the status of its workforce and election infrastructure initiatives through multiple communications, which have yet to receive a response.
Earlier this year, Trump issued an executive order directing the Department of Justice to investigate Chris Krebs, the former head of CISA, revoking his security clearances following Krebs’s public assertions that the 2020 election was secure and that the vote counts were accurate.