The Gathering at the Gold Institute

The February 19th meeting, held at the Gold Institute for International Strategy in Washington, D.C., brought together a controversial mix of Trump loyalists and current administration officials. Attendees included Kurt Olsen, a White House lawyer currently facing charges related to the investigation of the 2020 election, and Heather Honey, the Department of Homeland Security official responsible for election integrity. The summit was convened by Michael Flynn, Trump’s former National Security Advisor, and featured Cleta Mitchell, director of the Election Integrity Network, an organization that has repeatedly promoted unsubstantiated claims of election fraud.

Escalating Pressure and Proposed Measures

Experts in election law and administration warn that this meeting signifies a growing push to pressure Trump into actions that would fundamentally alter the electoral landscape. Previous attempts to reshape elections through executive order have been largely unsuccessful in the courts, and legislative efforts to impose strict voter ID requirements nationwide have stalled in Congress. However, the activists present at the summit appear to be exploring more drastic measures.

Reports indicate that a draft executive order circulating among these activists proposes a federal takeover of elections, including a ban on mail-in ballots and the elimination of voting machines. Peter Ticktin, an attorney involved in drafting the order, characterized these proposals as part of a unified strategy.

A Pattern of Coordination

This summit is not an isolated incident. Emails and recordings obtained by investigative journalists reveal a series of meetings and discussions between administration officials and conservative activists dating back to last fall. This coordination raises serious concerns about a breakdown in the established safeguards designed to protect the integrity of U.S. elections. Brendan Fischer, director at the Campaign Legal Center, stated, “The meeting shows that the same people who tried to overturn the 2020 election have only grown better organized and are now embedded in the machinery of government. This creates substantial risk that the administration is laying the groundwork to improperly reshape elections ahead of the midterms or even go against the will of the voters.”

Five of the six federal officials who attended the summit declined to comment on the event. A White House official, speaking anonymously, downplayed the significance of the meeting, stating that it was “common practice” for staff to engage with outside advocates. However, this explanation is countered by Trump’s own past statements. He has previously expressed support for federal control of elections in certain areas and recently asserted that Republicans need to “take over” and “nationalize” voting.

The lack of transparency surrounding these meetings is deeply troubling. Do these interactions represent legitimate policy discussions, or are they a veiled attempt to subvert the democratic process? And what responsibility do administration officials have to disclose these contacts to the public?

Key Players and Their Connections

Beyond Flynn, Olsen, Honey, and Mitchell, several other individuals played a role in the summit. Clay Parikh, a special government employee at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, attended the event while assisting Olsen with the 2020 election inquiry. Mac Warner, formerly handling election litigation at the Justice Department, resigned the day after the summit, reportedly without proper ethics clearance. Marci McCarthy, who directs communications for the nation’s cyber defense agency, was also present. Kari Lake, appointed by Trump as a senior advisor to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, delivered a speech, stating she spoke about “election integrity” and then departed. Lake previously collaborated with Olsen and Parikh in her unsuccessful attempt to challenge her 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election loss.

The summit, sponsored by the Gold Institute for International Strategy, followed a pattern of private interactions between activists and administration officials. Many of these interactions have involved Cleta Mitchell’s Election Integrity Network. Previously unreported emails reveal that Heather Honey, shortly after joining the Department of Homeland Security, briefed election activists on a call arranged by Mitchell. This raises concerns about potential ethics violations, as Honey’s prior role with the Election Integrity Network may have created a conflict of interest. The prior “ethics guardrails would have prevented some of the revolving door issues we’re seeing between the election denial movement and the government officials,” Fischer explained.

Did You Know? The Gold Institute for International Strategy, which sponsored the summit, has been criticized for promoting conspiracy theories and misinformation related to elections.

The situation demands increased scrutiny and a commitment to transparency. The integrity of the electoral process is paramount, and any attempt to undermine it must be met with swift and decisive action.

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