Jul 16, 2018 - World

FBI election meddling task force loses a chief

Shannon Vavra

FBI Director Chris Wray in nearly all black, lights above illuminate his face. — FBI Director Chris Wray. Photo: Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Jeffrey Tricoli, a senior FBI official who is one of two leaders of an election-meddling task force created last year, has left the agency for a private-sector job at Charles Schwab Corp., the Wall Street Journal’s Dustin Volz reports.

Why it matters: The departure adds to concerns over the effectiveness of the task force in protecting U.S. elections from foreign interference.

The context: In May, technology companies met with representatives from the FBI task force as well as the Department of Homeland Security in Menlo Park, Calif., to discuss election security, per the New York Times. But the Times reported the meeting was tense and left the tech companies feeling they would not be receiving the intelligence they need to combat the threat.

What's next: It's unclear who will replace Tricoli to steer the task force. The FBI would not comment on personnel matters.

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FBI election meddling task force loses a chief

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