FBI agents raided the Cleveland office of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative on Thursday, June 11, as part of a Justice Department investigation into the pro-democracy voting rights group’s voter registration efforts, according to NBC News and multiple other sources.
Board member Prentiss Haney said agents questioned staff members and searched the offices, taking laptops and other electronic devices. He described the operation as intense, saying agents also visited homes of people affiliated with the organization. “There’s no reason for over 100 agents to be knocking on the doors of everyday Ohioans,” Haney told WVXU, accusing agents of “demanding and accusing people of voter fraud.”
The raid reflects President Donald Trump’s ongoing push to investigate voter fraud allegations, which election experts say is uncommon in the United States. The FBI Cleveland Field Office confirmed law enforcement activity at the organization’s office, though a Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately comment.
Haney and other leaders accused the Trump administration of intimidation. “It’s clear that this administration is fishing to try to drum up stories around fraud,” Haney told NBC News. “They’re weaponizing the government, the federal government, and using taxpayer dollars to do illegitimate investigations.” Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, called the raids “an unprecedented attack on democracy” and said her office contacted the FBI demanding information.
The Ohio Organizing Collaborative, formed in 2007, describes its mission as organizing Ohioans to build “transformative power organizations for racial, social, and economic justice.” The group focuses on voter engagement and organizing for Democratic and progressive causes. A 2017 case involving a paid canvasser for the organization who pleaded guilty to fraudulent voter registration was cited in some reporting, though that involved an individual, not the organization itself.
This raid follows a similar pattern. In January 2026, the FBI raided the Fulton County, Georgia elections center seeking 2020 ballots and voter records as part of investigations into Trump’s unfounded claims about the 2020 election. That action drew criticism from voting rights advocates, who warned it could interfere with election administration.
The Trump administration has pursued multiple investigations into election-related matters. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose referred hundreds of cases to the Justice Department last year, claiming more than 1,000 noncitizens appeared to have registered to vote, though it remains unclear what happened with those referrals.
Sources
- NBC News — FBI search of Ohio Organizing Collaborative’s office, Prentiss Haney’s statements on intimidation, context on Trump’s voter fraud claims
- WVXU — Board member Prentiss Haney’s account of the raid, agent conduct, and comparisons to civil rights era
- The Columbus Dispatch — Confirmation of June 11 raid date, questioning of members across Ohio
- Representative Shontel Brown press release — Congressional response and statement on intimidation concerns
