Confidence in our elections is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. It is an American issue.
That’s why Americans should welcome news that the FBI is reportedly investigating allegations of voter registration fraud involving the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. According to multiple reports, federal agents executed search warrants and seized documents and electronic records as part of a fraud-related investigation. Importantly, the existence of an investigation does not establish guilt, and no conclusions should be drawn until all the facts are known and due process has run its course.
Unfortunately, many commentators failed to respect this principle. They immediately portrayed the investigation as political retaliation and a threat to democracy before the facts are known. But is this rush to cry "witch hunt" reasonable?
In reality, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative has a documented history of voter registration fraud. In 2017, one of the group’s paid canvassers pleaded guilty to 35 felony counts after submitting fraudulent voter registration forms, including registrations for deceased individuals. While the group itself was not charged, the canvasser testified that she felt pressure to register as many voters as possible because failing to meet certain goals could jeopardize local funding.
That history does not prove wrongdoing today, but it certainly provides a legitimate reason for authorities to investigate whether additional violations occurred. The group’s financial relationships also deserve scrutiny.
Between 2018 and 2021, one of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative’s largest donors was the Voter Registration Project, also known as the Everybody Votes campaign, which contributed nearly $4 million to Ohio’s voter registration efforts.
As Capital Research Center has documented, the Everybody Votes campaign traces back to Democrat-led consulting networks and was promoted to major Democratic donors as one of the most cost-effective ways to generate additional Democratic votes. That same network has repeatedly surfaced in investigations involving questionable voter registration activity in neighboring states.
In Michigan, GBI Strategies received more than $2.5 million through the Everybody Votes campaign before investigators uncovered thousands of suspicious voter registration forms across multiple counties. A search warrant later uncovered stacks of voter registration forms, prepaid debit cards, burner phones, and firearms equipped with silencers. Michigan’s Democratic attorney general ultimately referred the matter to the FBI.
In Pennsylvania, another contractor working on behalf of the Everybody Votes campaign allegedly submitted thousands of fraudulent voter registration forms across several swing counties. Seven individuals have since been charged in connection with the scheme, with one already pleading guilty.
None of these cases automatically incriminates the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, nor should anyone presume guilt simply because federal agents executed a search warrant. But these facts do demonstrate something important: voter registration fraud is neither imaginary nor unprecedented. It has happened before, and law enforcement has a responsibility to investigate credible allegations wherever they arise.
That is precisely how the system is supposed to work, and it will build confidence in American elections among both parties.
In every other area of American life, allegations of fraud warrant investigation. Financial crimes are investigated. Public corruption is investigated. Election-related crimes should be no different, and they may be the most important because public confidence depends on them. If the public loses trust in our election process, what do we have left?
Too often, discussions about election integrity become polarized before investigators have an opportunity to gather the facts. One side assumes every investigation is evidence of voter suppression. The other assumes every allegation proves widespread corruption. Both reactions are premature and ultimately unhelpful.
The standard should be simple. If a conservative organization is suspected of violating election law, investigate it. If a left-wing organization is suspected of violating election law, investigate it. If evidence exists, follow it wherever it leads. If no evidence exists, close the case and move on.
Equal justice under the law requires nothing less. What Americans should reject is the notion that certain groups are somehow immune from investigation simply because of their political viewpoints or advocacy work. Likewise, no group should be presumed guilty simply because investigators executed a search warrant.
Unfortunately, trust in America’s institutions has declined over the past decade. Public confidence in the government, the media, and even our elections has suffered. Rebuilding that trust requires transparent, accountable investigations of credible allegations regardless of politics or ideology.
The Ohio investigation will eventually produce one of two outcomes: Either investigators will uncover evidence supporting their concerns, or they will not. In either case, the public benefits from knowing the truth.
Americans should not fear legitimate investigations. They should fear a system where credible allegations are ignored, evidence is never examined, and politically favored groups receive different treatment from everyone else.
A healthy democracy requires making it easy for every eligible citizen to vote while ensuring election laws are faithfully enforced, regardless of political affiliation. Those principles are complementary — not contradictory. The mantra should be, “Easy to vote, hard to cheat,” and that is supported by large, bipartisan majorities.
The FBI’s investigation in Ohio should be viewed through that lens. It reminds us that election laws matter, accountability matters, and public confidence in our democratic institutions matters most of all.
Scott Walter is president of Capital Research Center.
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