Mojave Research halts Puerto Rico voting probe after White House pressure
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Mojave Research halted its investigation of Dominion voting systems used in Puerto Rico's 2024 elections after White House pressure, despite finding critical vulnerabilities. The firm discovered reused passwords, disabled firewalls, and weak cryptographic protections, but found no evidence of vote manipulation or exploitation. The project, initially backed by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, was terminated after Trump adviser Kurt Olsen pushed for its end when results failed to support claims of election fraud.
System Vulnerabilities
Mojave Research's analysis of Dominion voting systems in Puerto Rico revealed over a dozen high- or critical-severity software flaws, including reused passwords, disabled firewalls, and inadequate cryptographic protections. Active cellular modems provided unintended access pathways to the underlying software. Despite the severity of these issues, the firm found no evidence that any vulnerabilities were exploited or that vote tallies were altered.
Political Pressure
The project, initially supported by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, was abruptly halted after pressure from individuals close to the White House. CEO Jason Wareham stated that Trump adviser Kurt Olsen advocated for terminating the work when the investigation did not yield evidence of election manipulation, as some officials sought findings to support such claims.
Election Security Risks
The findings suggest that similar vulnerabilities may persist in other voting systems, raising concerns for upcoming elections. While no exploitation was detected, the presence of such flaws could be targeted in future contests, and the lack of a federal response leaves the extent of these weaknesses unclear.
What's Next
No further investigation into the Puerto Rico systems is planned, and it remains unclear whether other jurisdictions will review their voting equipment for similar vulnerabilities.
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Mojave Research halts Puerto Rico voting probe after White House pressure
