FBI special agents searched an office of a progressive organization in Ohio on Thursday as part of a Justice Department investigation into its voter registration efforts, three people familiar with the matter told NBC News.<\/p>\n
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The search at the Ohio Organizing Collaborative\u2019s office comes as President Donald Trump continues to suggest without evidence that voter fraud is rampant, and repeats false claims about the 2020 presidential election. The FBI in February also raided a Georgia elections hub related to the 2020 presidential election, and California prosecutors have said they are looking into claims of voter fraud in the Los Angeles mayor\u2019s race after Trump made unfounded suggestions of fraud. <\/a><\/p>\n Following the Ohio search, Prentiss Haney, a board member of the organization and its former director, accused the Trump administration of voter intimidation. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s clear that this administration is fishing to try to drum up stories around fraud,\u201d Haney told NBC News on Thursday night. \u201cIt\u2019s clear that this administration is trying to target civil rights leaders and community leaders and folks who are doing that work, because they don\u2019t see a path for themselves to actually legitimately hold power beyond this year.\u201d<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the FBI Cleveland Field Office confirmed law enforcement activity at the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. <\/p>\n Voter fraud in the United States is uncommon, according to government officials and election experts. And there would have to be a massive coordinated effort in order to affect the outcome of any election. <\/p>\n Formed in 2007, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative says its mission is to \u201corganize everyday Ohioans, building transformative power organizations for racial, social, and economic justice.\u201d Back in 2017, a paid canvasser for the organization pleaded guilty<\/a> in a fraudulent voter registration scheme.<\/p>\n Haney said they were shocked by the FBI\u2019s actions, which he said included sending special agents to the homes of people affiliated with the organization.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re weaponizing the government, the federal government, and using taxpayer dollars to do illegitimate investigations in the state,\u201d Haney said, accusing the administration of intimidation with \u201cmob boss energy.\u201d <\/p>\n Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, said she was alarmed by the development. <\/p>\n \u201cMy office has contacted the FBI demanding information, and I am deeply concerned that this is an effort to use federal law enforcement to intimidate and halt voter registration and organizing efforts,\u201d she said in a statement. \u201cThis is an unprecedented attack on democracy: these raids must end immediately.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n U.S. Attorney David Toepfer of the Northern District of Ohio was in Washington as the search took place Thursday. Toepfer had participated in a press conference, where acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had announced three immigration-related cases stemming from the Northern District of Ohio. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Northern District of Ohio did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n