The United States State Department is offering a US$10 million reward for information on foreign interference in its elections raising questions about why Zimbabwe is being questioned for implementing similar measures, legally.
The reward is being offered under its Rewards for Justice programme, which it says has paid over US$250 million since its inception in 1984 to more than 125 people across the globe who provided information that helped prevent terrorism, bring terrorist leaders to justice, and resolved threats to US national security.
In a statement yesterday the State Department said: “The reward offer seeks information leading to the identification or location of any foreign person, including a foreign entity, who knowingly engaged or is engaging in foreign election interference, as well as information leading to the prevention, frustration, or favorable resolution of an act of foreign election interference.
“Foreign election interference includes certain conduct by a foreign person that violates federal criminal, voting rights, or campaign finance law, or that is performed by any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of, or in coordination with, a foreign government or criminal enterprise.
“This conduct includes covert, fraudulent, deceptive, or unlawful acts or attempted acts, or knowing use of information acquired by theft, undertaken with the specific intent to influence voters, undermine public confidence in election processes or institutions, or influence, undermine confidence in, or alter the result or reported result of a general or primary federal, states, or local election or caucus. Such conduct could include vote tampering and database intrusions; certain influence, disinformation, and bot farm campaigns; or malicious cyber activities.”
It added: “This reward offer reflects additional authorities to provide rewards for information on foreign interference in domestic elections provided by the William M. “Mac” Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.”
US offers US$10 million reward for anyone offering information on foreign interference in its elections
The United States State Department is offering a US$10 million reward for information on foreign interference in its elections raising questions about why Zimbabwe is being questioned for implementing similar measures, legally.
The reward is being offered under its Rewards for Justice programme, which it says has paid over US$250 million since its inception in 1984 to more than 125 people across the globe who provided information that helped prevent terrorism, bring terrorist leaders to justice, and resolved threats to US national security.
In a statement yesterday the State Department said: “The reward offer seeks information leading to the identification or location of any foreign person, including a foreign entity, who knowingly engaged or is engaging in foreign election interference, as well as information leading to the prevention, frustration, or favorable resolution of an act of foreign election interference.
“Foreign election interference includes certain conduct by a foreign person that violates federal criminal, voting rights, or campaign finance law, or that is performed by any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of, or in coordination with, a foreign government or criminal enterprise.
“This conduct includes covert, fraudulent, deceptive, or unlawful acts or attempted acts, or knowing use of information acquired by theft, undertaken with the specific intent to influence voters, undermine public confidence in election processes or institutions, or influence, undermine confidence in, or alter the result or reported result of a general or primary federal, states, or local election or caucus. Such conduct could include vote tampering and database intrusions; certain influence, disinformation, and bot farm campaigns; or malicious cyber activities.”
It added: “This reward offer reflects additional authorities to provide rewards for information on foreign interference in domestic elections provided by the William M. “Mac” Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.”
The United States is holding its mid-term elections on 8 Novembner this year and presidential elections on 5 November 2024.
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