Alleged Chinese Scheme to Influence 2020 Election Under Scrutiny
Allegations that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) manufactured fake driver’s licenses and shipped them to the United States as part of a scheme to influence the 2020 presidential election—specifically in favor of Joe Biden—have prompted intensified scrutiny by the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI disclosed these claims in late May, revealing the existence of a declassified document alleging a coordinated effort to use the fraudulent licenses to enable Chinese sympathizers in the U.S. to cast invalid votes. This report was submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee at the request of Chairman Chuck Grassley, a key figure in Republican-led investigations into the aftermath of the 2020 election.
According to the declassified report, the CCP purportedly produced a significant number of counterfeit U.S. driver’s licenses that were destined for the United States to facilitate fraudulent mail-in ballots for Biden. The report suggests that the Chinese government may have used private data collected from millions of TikTok accounts, including names, IDs, and addresses, to create the fake IDs. However, the document raises questions about the feasibility of obtaining U.S. addresses from the app, as the platform does not require such information when users register. The FBI noted that this detail, along with several other unresolved inconsistencies, casts doubt on the plausibility of the plan as outlined in the report.
Despite these uncertainties, the report was initially shared as part of an “information report,” which the FBI explicitly stated does not constitute finalized intelligence. The document warned that recipients should not take immediate action without further coordination with the FBI and emphasized that the findings are not yet fully evaluated. However, the report was later recalled in September 2020—just days after FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress that his agency had not found evidence of coordinated voter fraud. The recall led Chair Grassley to demand further scrutiny within the FBI, including details on who conducted the recall and the rationale behind it, as well as whether any follow-up actions were taken to evaluate the allegations.
Grassley has requested a comprehensive review of all related records, including interviews conducted with the source of the report and any internal communications about the recall. He has also asked for an explanation of how the FBI’s actions under former Director Christopher Wray align with its standard record-keeping practices, particularly regarding the destruction of the original report. This scrutiny comes at a time when the FBI and other agencies continue to investigate potential foreign interference in U.S. elections, as highlighted by recent seizures of fraudulent documents at U.S. ports of entry.
The allegations, though largely unverified, have reignited debates over the role of foreign entities in U.S. electoral processes. With the 2024 presidential election approaching, the Senate panel’s ongoing investigation may serve as a crucial step in assessing the risks of foreign interference, particularly from state actors like the CCP. However, the lack of conclusive evidence and the high degree of redaction in the original report suggest that the truth behind these allegations remains elusive, leaving significant room for further inquiry and scrutiny.