GOP official who challenged Trump election claims to get top DHS position
A GOP official who challenged former President Trump’s unsupported election claims is expected to get a top position within the Department of Homeland Security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) confirmed Tuesday.
Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman (R) will serve as the senior election lead at CISA, the key agency tasked with securing critical infrastructure, including elections, against cyber threats.
CISA came under fire by Trump following the 2020 presidential election for its efforts to push back against election-related disinformation and misinformation, with Trump firing former CISA Director Chris Krebs and his administration forcing other top leaders to step down as a result.
“I am honored to be able to share nearly three decades of experience and expertise to support CISA’s efforts to safeguard our election systems from cyber-attacks and enhance the public’s confidence in our elections,” Wyman said in a statement Tuesday. “As I assume this new role, I remain committed to protecting the integrity of our elections and working closely with local and state elections officials nationwide to bolster this foundational pillar of our democracy.”
Wyman tweeted out a separate statement announcing that she will step down from her role as Washington secretary of state effective Nov. 19. Gov. Jay Inslee (D) will be charged with appointing her replacement.
News of Wyman’s appointment was first reported by CNN. According to the outlet, Wyman would be the point person for state and local officials to protect election infrastructure and voters from misinformation.
Wyman pushed back against Trump’s false claims of mail-in ballot fraud, with Washington state among those to use only mail-in ballots.
CISA Director Jen Easterly warmly welcomed Wyman to the agency on Tuesday, noting that she was “personally thrilled to have her lead CISA’s election security efforts.”
“Her decades of experience, unparalleled expertise, and unimpeachable integrity have earned her bipartisan respect at every level of government,” Easterly said in a statement. “Kim’s deep knowledge of state and county government will strengthen our partnerships with state and local officials and enable us to expand our outreach to smaller election jurisdictions and private sector partners.”
“Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of our democracy; Kim and I share a common view that ensuring the security of our elections must be a non-partisan effort,” Easterly stressed. “Kim is uniquely qualified for this critical role, and I can’t wait for her to join the team.”
Krebs also praised Wyman’s appointment, tweeting that Wyman was “the real deal and a true professional.”
This story was updated at 1:50 p.m.