President Donald Trump has directed intelligence agencies including the CIA to provide classified information concerning the 2020 presidential election to Kurt Olsen, an attorney who previously participated in efforts to challenge that election’s outcome. This directive has reportedly caused significant concern among intelligence community officials, according to sources who spoke with multiple news organizations.
Olsen, who joined the administration as a temporary special government employee in October 2025, is tasked with examining intelligence materials related to the 2020 contest. His involvement in the “Stop the Steal” movement four years ago has raised eyebrows given his current assignment to review sensitive government intelligence on the very election he previously questioned.
A CIA spokesperson confirmed the arrangement in a statement, noting that the president requested Olsen examine intelligence concerning the 2020 election and that the agency is providing necessary access for this work. The White House defended the decision by emphasizing the president’s authority to grant access to classified materials as deemed appropriate, adding that the administration is committed to ensuring election integrity.
The unusual nature of this arrangement stems from Olsen’s lack of prior intelligence community experience and his status as a short-term government employee. Such special government employees typically work no more than 130 days within any 365-day period, suggesting his tenure may be limited. Sources indicate Olsen has successfully completed both background checks and polygraph examinations required for accessing classified information.
Critics within and outside the administration have expressed skepticism about Olsen’s capacity to objectively analyze intelligence materials given his previously stated positions on election fraud allegations. One individual described as a Trump ally questioned whether Olsen possesses adequate background knowledge to properly contextualize classified intelligence reports, suggesting he might misinterpret findings to support predetermined conclusions.
Olsen gained prominence through his work with Trump following the 2020 election, urging Department of Justice officials to file Supreme Court complaints challenging Trump’s defeat. He maintained contact with the president during the January 6, 2021, Capitol incident, making multiple phone calls that day.
This development coincides with FBI activity in Fulton County, Georgia, where agents recently conducted a search of an elections facility and removed ballots from the 2020 election. An affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Hugh Raymond Evans, which was unsealed this week, outlines five distinct categories of confirmed irregularities in how Fulton County managed its ballots.
The FBI investigation originated from a referral by Olsen in his capacity as election integrity official. Evans conducted interviews with approximately twelve individuals regarding allegations connected to Georgia’s closely contested race, where official results showed Biden defeating Trump by fewer than 12,000 votes.
The affidavit reveals several significant issues. Fulton County acknowledged it does not possess scanned images for all 528,777 ballots counted initially or for the 527,925 ballots tallied during the state’s first recount. Officials also admitted that some ballots were scanned multiple times during the recount process. Public records requests yielded ballot images showing identical markings on duplicated scans.
Additional problems emerged during the Risk Limiting Audit, where hand count totals for specific batches failed to match actual votes contained within those batches. State investigators from the Secretary of State’s office verified these discrepancies, according to the affidavit’s contents.
The FBI seized approximately 700 boxes of ballots from an Atlanta-area storage facility as part of its investigation into whether any irregularities constituted intentional violations of federal criminal statutes. The warrant application explicitly identifies this as part of a criminal investigation into potential deliberate wrongdoing.
Questions surrounding Georgia’s 2020 election handling have persisted for over five years, initially raised by Trump and supporters who alleged various irregularities across multiple states. The current federal investigation represents an official examination of concerns that previously remained largely unaddressed through formal channels.