Ohio official on FBI foreign interference announcement: ‘This did not impact Ohio’

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose released a video Wednesday night on social media regarding the FBI’s earlier announcement that Iranian and Russian actors accessed voter registration information in two states and sent a flurry of intimidating emails to voters.

“This did not impact Ohio,” LaRose said, adding that his office was working with federal counterparts and monitoring the situation.

“Second, in Ohio our voter registration information is a public record,” LaRose said. “Nobody has to access it via a hacking operation or via the dark web. If anybody says they nefariously were able to access Ohio voter registration information that simply is a lie. That information is available as a public record.”

He said the “foreign adversaries” were enemies of the United States trying to undermine trust in elections.

LaRose wanted to reassure voters that Ohio is a leader in protecting the integrity of the democratic process.

“Our state in many ways has led the nation in being proactive about protecting the cyber security of our elections administration," LaRose said.

He urged Ohioans to report any disinformation to OhioSOS.gov, which is monitored 24/7, and for Ohioans to not be intimidated and to exercise their right to vote to make their voices heard.

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