Thread by @thememoryhole2

THREAD / NEW:

Yesterday Florida's governor said FBI told him that 2 counties were hacked during 2016 election season, but he isn't allowed to say which ones.

So I filed public-records requests with the election supervisors in ALL 67 Florida counties.

I'll post results here...

As each county election supervisor responds to my request, I'll post their responses to this thread, and to this page on my site:

altgov2.org/fl-county-requ…

BTW if you want to support my adventures in forcing transparency, please help me keep the lights on as I obsessively file loads of FOIA and other public-records requests:

altgov2.org/donate/

So far I've gotten "no records" responses from these counties:

Alachua
Clay
Flagler
Gulf
Indian River
Manatee
Marion
Okaloosa
Pasco
Sarasota

more....

Bradford County FL responds to me: “There have been no notifications from any law enforcement agency that would indicate that Bradford was hacked.”

From Collier: “Collier County’s systems for elections, voting, and networks were not compromised or accessed by hackers in 2016; therefore, there are no records or relating correspondences that exist on that matter.”

Franklin County FL: "We have not received any communication from any entity regarding any type of compromise to any of our systems."

The word from Glades: "Glades County has never been notified by the FBI, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, or any other federal, state or local entities that we have been compromised."

The response from Lafayette County FL: "We do not have any such communications as our systems were not compromised. Our office did not receive the phishing email."

Pinellas County FL responds that they have no responsive records and: "Additionally, there is no indication any of our systems have ever been penetrated."

Polk County: "We have no notifications from any federal, state or local agencies that any of our voting systems were compromised by hackers in 2016. We have no notification from any private company or individual that any of our voting systems were compromised by hackers in 2016."

The word from Lake County FL:

Whoa. Check out this response from Leon County.

This sure implies that there are responsive documents that they're refusing to release.

(Note: CISA = Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act)
.

I will be appealing this, although appealing under Florida law means seeking mediation through the state Attorney General's office.

And of course, a county agency can't invoke federal FOIA to withhold records.

As the responses continue to pour in from the 67 counties, seems like a good time to say that I'm not doing this for any media outlet, employer, etc.

I'm just a rogue transparency activist. Please make a donation. Maybe become a $1/month patron?

altgov2.org/donate/
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Citrus County FL says: "In answer to your public records request, Citrus County has never been notified of an intrusion into our system by any of the agencies named in your request or any other unnamed entity."

From Lee County: "The Lee County Supervisor of Elections has not been notified by any means (email, phone or in person) by any local, state or federal agency that either our voter registration or our tabulation networks have been compromised at any time."

This just in from Monroe County (which includes the Keys): "Nothing to report"

That's the full email. #brevity

How... interesting. Sumter County just sent me the same canned BS response as Leon County:

From Hamiton: "Hamilton County, FL SOE [Supervisor of Elections] office has not been notified by anyone that any portion(s) of your county's systems for elections, voting, and related matters was compromised or accessed by hackers in 2016."

(Pretty sure "your" should be "our")

10 minutes ago from Orange County FL: "Our office received no such notification. Therefore, there are no documents responsive to your request."

Nassau County sent the same factually-challenged canned response as Leon and Sumter:

And here's Santa Rosa County with the fourth example of this silliness.

The canned text is even a different color than the rest, where she copied-and-pasted it in:

By my count, I've gotten 4 of the canned responses about these documents being a grave threat to the Republic.

Yet I've received 21 other responses that say there are no records, and often explicitly state that no hacking of the county took place.

Brevard County has responded: "We are in receipt of your public records request and no public record exists for the records you are requesting."

Reminder: In addition to this thread, I'm keeping a list of every county's response here:

altgov2.org/fl-county-requ…
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Yow... Lake County is saying it's found 40,000 potentially responsive emails. O_O

Some thoughts about Lake County's response:

~ It's POSSIBLE that some of these emails have to do with FBI/DHS's general warnings to election supervisors. But could there be 40,000 potentially responsive emails in a single county if something concrete hadn't happened there? Hmmm

~ At this point I've had so many counties flatly tell me that they weren't hacked & therefore there are no records, that it looks... phishy when a county doesn't say that.

And when a county says it might have 4K emails responsive to my request, well... It makes a person wonder.

~ Saying there are tons of documents and the fee will be outrageous is a tried-and-true tactic to get requesters to give up.

So if Lake County wasn't hacked & didn't have any documents, you'd think they would just say that (which is what a bunch of counties have told me).

But apparently there are documents, lots & lots of them, and I'm being told to expect an exorbitant fee, even if I can narrow the scope.

Anyway, I'll try to narrow it WAY down...

Got a response from the deputy supervisor at Madison County:

"Per Supervisor Hardee, please see the below email. We agree with Leon County statement."

The Leon County statement (below) is the one that basically says the US would collapse if the documents were released. But...

Madison County didn't copy-and-paste the Leon County statement. No, Madison actually attached the email that Leon sent me. I guess they asked Leon County how to handle this request, and Leon sent them the email they had sent me earlier today.

I'm hearing from Nassau County again. Earlier, Nassau sent me the canned statement that releasing the documents would destroy the Republic.

Now they're saying: "After consulting with County Attorney Mullin, this will confirm that we have no records responsive to your request."

Baker County just sent me a response. In full:

"We received no such notifications in any form."

Another backtrack: Santa Rosa County sent me the canned response about the FBI/DHS hacking notification being too dangerous to release.

A producer for The Rachel Maddow Show then asked them for comment, so they sent this follow-up email:

Why not just say that in the first place instead of the high drama of that bogus "harmful to national security" letter?

More responses coming in....

Levy County: "My office does not have any public records that relate to hacking of Levy County’s system in 2016."

Osceola County: "We have received no indication of any kind from any state or federal agency that any such interference with our election has occurred or is even suspected. We have no responsive documents to this request."

And.... Martin County becomes the fifth county to send the canned response that documents on the hacking are way too dangerous release.

It also invokes #FOIA, which applies only to federal agencies in the Executive Branch, not counties. [eyeroll.gif]

Okeechobee County writes: "No such record(s) exist relating to your public records request."

Taylor County responds: "Taylor County has received no notifications from any agency pertaining to your public records request."

Hendry County: "In response to your request, there are no such records via written or oral as to our system being compromised or accessed."

This has turned into a moster thread, so a reminder of what's happening: I asked the Supervisor of Elections in all 67 Florida counties for any notification they received from federal or state govt that their systems were hacked in 2016.

Gov DeSantis claims he can't reveal this.

Specifically, DeSantis publicly said that FBI & DHS told him Russian hackers got into systems in two counties.

He claims that no changes were made, election wasn't affected, etc. He also claims he had to sign a nondisclosure agreement that forbids him from naming the counties.

Just got a response from Hillsborough County: "There are no records responsive to your request."

Columbia County becomes the latest to send the ridiculous "national security" letter:

Calhoun County checks in: "Our office has no available records responsive to this request."

FFS. Washington County just sent me the cut-and-paste "national security" BS letter. I guess word is getting to the election supervisors to send this load of crap to requesters.

NEWS: Florida's Congressional delegation was briefed by the FBI about the 2016 hacking... and they're not allowed to say which counties it was either!

Really, the FBI has the power to gag Senators, Reps, and Governors?

npr.org/2019/05/16/723…

"Lawmakers confirmed Wednesday however, that the Russian hackers did gain adequate access to be able to change voter registration data if they'd wanted, although there is no evidence that they did so."

npr.org/2019/05/16/723…

"Rep. Matt Gaetz, who represents Florida's 1st District, has been among the leading critics of Mueller's investigation into President Trump's campaign. On Thursday, Gaetz said voters in Florida need more information about Russia's interference efforts in 2016."

"Rep. Michael Waltz, a Republican who represents the state's 6th District, was asked if he thought there were more counties nationally breached in 2016 that the public still doesn't know about.

'It's possible,' he said."

npr.org/2019/05/16/723…

BIG NEWS: Two anonymous officials just leaked to the Washington Post -- they're saying one of the hacked counties in Florida was Washington County:

washingtonpost.com/world/national…

Just today, Washington County responded to my request with the cut-and-paste "national security" letter:

These are the Florida counties that so far have sent me the cut-and-paste "national security" letter:

Columbia
Leon
Martin
Nassau*
Santa Rosa*
Sumter
Washington

* When questioned by a Maddow producer, these 2 counties then claimed they have no documents responsive to my request

For those who don't know, I have a webpage where I'm keeping a scorecard of replies from every county:

altgov2.org/fl-county-requ…

Just updated it with today's responses.

And it's time to pass around the collection plate again. Please help me keep digging:

altgov2.org/donate/

The responses to my records-requests for notifications of hacking of Florida county election systems continue to arrive:

"Gilchrist County was not contacted by the FBI, Department of Justice, Homeland Security or any other Federal entities."

Dixie County: "No. Per your public records request we have not received any notifications."

Jackson County responds: "Jackson County Supervisor of Elections office has not receive any notification from any source that our computers had been compromised at any time."

This is the kind of all-encompassing, no-wiggle-room statement I like getting.

Escambia County: "We have no responsive documents."

Putnam County responds:

NEWS: Politico independently confirms WaPo story that Washington County was hacked in 2016.

And they add a new detail: "Two people in Florida said they suspect the second hacked elections office was in a mid-sized county on the East Coast of the state."

politico.com/states/florida…

h/t @juliabhaber

@juliabhaber Continuing with the responses from Florida's election supervisors....

Seminole County: "After reviewing our communication records, the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Office did not receive any such correspondence as our system was not compromised in any way."

Walton County:

"Dear Mr. Kick,

None know of, no communications.

Sincerely,

Bobby Beasley
Walton Co.Supervisor of Elections"

Wakulla County: "Good afternoon, after scanning the system for the records requested, we located NO emails for those requested. The outcome I expected but now we know. If we can be of further assistance contact the office and have a great day."

Miami-Dade responds:

"We have not located any responsive documents to this request. Were such documents to exist, however, they would be exempt from disclosure as a public record pursuant to Florida Statutes § 119.071(2)(c); 119.071(2)(d); 119.071(3); 282.318(4); and 281.301."

Miami-Dade County has been a popular prediction in my mentions for having been hacked in 2016.

But the Supervisor of Elections is declaring that they haven't "located" any notifications from federal or state agencies that they were hacked.

Pretty ambiguous wording.

Many counties have flat-out told me that they weren't hacked and, therefore, there are no documents.

Meanwhile, Miami-Dade says only that it couldn't locate any notification of being hacked.

There's a lull in responses from Florida's county election supervisors, so I took the opportunity to update the webpage where I'm keeping a scorecard:

altgov2.org/fl-county-requ…

17 counties haven't yet responded.

Responses from Florida counties about 2016 election hacking are still trickling in.

Yesterday I heard from Hernando County. They sent me the bogus form letter about "national security."