Kansas secretary of state ‘appreciated’ invitation to FBI’s election briefing

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, the state's top elections official and a GOP candidate for governor, is invited to a virtual FBI briefing on election security. He appears here on Jan. 13, 2025, performing ceremonial duties at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kansas. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA — Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab appreciated an invitation from the FBI to attend a briefing on the upcoming midterm elections, a spokesperson said.

Kellie Hardiman, an FBI election executive, invited chief election officials across the country to “discuss our preparations for the election cycle, as well as updates and resources we can provide to you and your staff,” according to a Feb. 3 email obtained by Kansas Reflector.

The invitations coincide with Republican President Donald Trump’s recent call to nationalize elections, which have spurred scrutiny from Republicans and Democrats, and a raid on an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia.

Whitney Tempel, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s Office, said “it is not yet known” whether Schwab, who is vying for the Republican nomination for Kansas governor, will participate in the Feb. 25 briefing. Schwab and the state elections director typically join comparable calls, she said.

“Schwab appreciated the invitation,” Tempel said in an email. “The Secretary of State’s Office has participated in communications with federal partners every year since 2017.”

Schwab has been secretary of state since 2019. He served in the Kansas House for roughly 14 years between 2003 and 2019.

The virtual meeting is expected to include representatives from the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission.

“It is important to hear from all our federal partners as it relates to the security of election administration,” Tempel said.

When asked whether Schwab is concerned by Trump’s recent call to nationalize elections and his administration’s previous attempts to procure state voter data, Tempel pointed to Kansas’ voter ID law, which has been in place for more than a decade. 

“All states who have it benefit from it,” she said.