US DOJ Investigates Unfounded Venezuela Election Claims: A Weapon in Trump's War on Democracy
A sprawling investigation into unfounded claims that Venezuela helped steal the 2020 US presidential election has been launched by the Department of Justice (DOJ), with multiple sources confirming federal investigators have been interviewing key figures behind these conspiracy theories. The probe, which involves several prominent figures linked to President Donald Trump's inner circle, underscores the increasingly politicized role of the DOJ in rewriting the history of Trump's 2020 loss.
Gary Berntsen and Martin Rodil, two self-proclaimed experts on election security who have promoted these claims for years, have been feeding information to US Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow and an organized crime taskforce called Panama Express, or Panex, based in Tampa. These individuals claim that Smartmatic and Dominion, companies involved in electronic voting systems, were created by Venezuela's socialist regime to rig elections worldwide.
However, the claims are patently false. In 2023, a Delaware judge ruled against these conspiracy theories, and news outlets such as Fox News, Newsmax, and One America Network have paid hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for defamation claims related to spreading these unfounded allegations.
While this investigation may seem like a distraction from more pressing issues, it highlights the ongoing efforts by Trump's administration to rewrite history and justify military action against Venezuela. The unfounded election-rigging theories, which were always a central claim behind Trump's "Stop the Steal" movement, have now taken on a life of their own as part of a broader effort to discredit opponents and promote Trump's agenda.
The involvement of prominent Trump allies in this investigation raises serious questions about the DOJ's independence and its commitment to upholding the law. As one former official familiar with Berntsen described him, "A formidable guy, a warrior, no question," – but also someone who has been aggressively promoting conspiracy theories that have already been thoroughly debunked.
The fact that Muldrow, a staunch Republican and Trump supporter, is leading this investigation only adds to the concern. His extensive cooperation with Berntsen and Rodil, as well as his willingness to share information about these claims, suggests that the DOJ may be more focused on promoting its own agenda than on seeking truth and justice.
As one source familiar with Muldrow's relationship with Berntsen and Rodil noted, "They work together. Muldrow has been very receptive" – a sentiment echoed by other sources who describe the close working relationship between these individuals. The fact that this investigation is now being led by a taskforce focused primarily on Venezuela, rather than addressing more pressing national security concerns, raises serious questions about the priorities of the Trump administration.
Ultimately, this investigation serves as another example of how the US DOJ has become a major tool in Trump's efforts to rewrite history and justify his own actions. As one observer noted, "Trump knows they need to be stopped" – but at what cost to American democracy?
A sprawling investigation into unfounded claims that Venezuela helped steal the 2020 US presidential election has been launched by the Department of Justice (DOJ), with multiple sources confirming federal investigators have been interviewing key figures behind these conspiracy theories. The probe, which involves several prominent figures linked to President Donald Trump's inner circle, underscores the increasingly politicized role of the DOJ in rewriting the history of Trump's 2020 loss.
Gary Berntsen and Martin Rodil, two self-proclaimed experts on election security who have promoted these claims for years, have been feeding information to US Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow and an organized crime taskforce called Panama Express, or Panex, based in Tampa. These individuals claim that Smartmatic and Dominion, companies involved in electronic voting systems, were created by Venezuela's socialist regime to rig elections worldwide.
However, the claims are patently false. In 2023, a Delaware judge ruled against these conspiracy theories, and news outlets such as Fox News, Newsmax, and One America Network have paid hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for defamation claims related to spreading these unfounded allegations.
While this investigation may seem like a distraction from more pressing issues, it highlights the ongoing efforts by Trump's administration to rewrite history and justify military action against Venezuela. The unfounded election-rigging theories, which were always a central claim behind Trump's "Stop the Steal" movement, have now taken on a life of their own as part of a broader effort to discredit opponents and promote Trump's agenda.
The involvement of prominent Trump allies in this investigation raises serious questions about the DOJ's independence and its commitment to upholding the law. As one former official familiar with Berntsen described him, "A formidable guy, a warrior, no question," – but also someone who has been aggressively promoting conspiracy theories that have already been thoroughly debunked.
The fact that Muldrow, a staunch Republican and Trump supporter, is leading this investigation only adds to the concern. His extensive cooperation with Berntsen and Rodil, as well as his willingness to share information about these claims, suggests that the DOJ may be more focused on promoting its own agenda than on seeking truth and justice.
As one source familiar with Muldrow's relationship with Berntsen and Rodil noted, "They work together. Muldrow has been very receptive" – a sentiment echoed by other sources who describe the close working relationship between these individuals. The fact that this investigation is now being led by a taskforce focused primarily on Venezuela, rather than addressing more pressing national security concerns, raises serious questions about the priorities of the Trump administration.
Ultimately, this investigation serves as another example of how the US DOJ has become a major tool in Trump's efforts to rewrite history and justify his own actions. As one observer noted, "Trump knows they need to be stopped" – but at what cost to American democracy?
I remember when Trump first started making these claims about Venezuela rigging the election... people thought it was crazy talk 
, but he made a bunch of us believe him 
. Now we're seeing his allies try to push this stuff back into the spotlight 
. It's like they think they can just make up some fake info and hope nobody checks it 
. But the thing is... multiple judges have already ruled out these conspiracy theories and news outlets got burned for spreading them 
. And now we're supposed to believe that this investigation is going to magically uncover new evidence? 
It's all about trying to discredit opponents and promote Trump's agenda, in my opinion 
. The DOJ needs to get back on track with some real investigations, not just this witch hunt 
This is just getting wilder by the day. I mean, come on - people who think Venezuela rigged an election for Trump are now being investigated by the DOJ? 
Like, didn't we already learn about this stuff from, like, last year? 
The fact that Trump allies are leading this investigation is a major red flag - it's like they're more interested in covering their own backsides than actually seeking the truth. 
meanwhile, the Venezuelan election claims are super baseless and have already been debunked so many times. i think the real question is what else is going on behind the scenes that we don't know about 
or is it just another example of trump trying to justify his own agenda and discredit opponents? 
Trump's admin seems to be using every tool at their disposal to rewrite history and justify their own actions, and now it looks like they're even trying to use the DOJ as a way to discredit opponents and promote their own agenda 
Does that sound like an independent investigation to you? 
Does it set a precedent for further erosion of trust in institutions? And what about the damage it does to real opponents and critics who are trying to hold people in power accountable?
... this whole thing reeks of politics over principle 
.
. I mean, I get it, Trump's still trying to rewrite history and all that jazz, but come on, who needs that much drama in their lives? 
. Can't have our top law enforcement agency being used as a tool for political witch hunts 
.
.
it's just laughable. And now the fact that a Trump ally is leading this investigation raises even more red flags for me... what's really going on here? Is this just another example of trying to discredit opponents and justify military action against Venezuela, or are we genuinely seeing some kind of war on democracy unfolding before our eyes 
. And now they're sending in his pals to dig up dirt 
. It's like they're playing a game of whack-a-mole with reality 
. We need to be vigilant and make sure our institutions aren't being hijacked for partisan gain 
. It's like he's constantly trying to spin the narrative to fit his own agenda, and now he's got the DOJ playing along with it 
️. I mean, can't the DOJ just focus on doing its job and seeking truth instead of chasing after Trump's fantasies? 
. Now, the DOJ is stepping in to investigate these unfounded claims, but I'm not sure if they're doing enough to really get to the bottom of things 
. Are they really focused on seeking truth and justice, or are they more worried about promoting their own agenda? 
. A Delaware judge ruled against them just a few years ago! So, what's driving this investigation now? Is it just a distraction from more pressing issues?