A DHS Official’s Ties to Election Conspiracy Theories Raise Security Concerns
David Harvilicz holds a top position at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where he is responsible for shaping policy to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure, including voting machines and election systems. Yet his public record and business partnerships show a longstanding history of promoting debunked theories about election fraud and aligning with figures who actively worked to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
Contradictory Roles and Public Statements
In his role as DHS’s assistant secretary for cyber, infrastructure, risk and resilience policy—a position he assumed around July—Harvilicz sets policy on securing election infrastructure. On social media, however, he has repeatedly called for banning voting machines altogether, describing them as “eminently vulnerable to exploitation.” In a March post, he wrote, “DHS needs to ban voting machines for all federal elections. The time is now.” He has also consistently questioned the legitimacy of Democratic electoral victories and advocated for Republican-led overhauls of electoral systems.
Business Partnership with a Key 2020 Election Overturn Effort Figure
Harvilicz co-founded Tranquility AI, a company that develops artificial intelligence tools for law enforcement, with James Penrose. Penrose is a former intelligence officer who played a leading role in the campaign to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 loss, according to ProPublica reporting. Penrose assisted in efforts to seize voting machines in multiple states and was referenced as an apparent unindicted co-conspirator in the failed Georgia election interference case against Trump, The Washington Post reported. The two are listed together on Tranquility AI’s 2025 patent applications. The company’s website cites “election integrity” as a purported use case for its tools but did not provide specifics when queried.
Team Members with Deep Roots in Election Denial Movement
Harvilicz’s DHS team includes individuals with backgrounds in conservative groups that have challenged election systems. Heather Honey, the deputy assistant secretary of election integrity, was previously a leader in the Election Integrity Network, a group founded by prominent election denier Cleta Mitchell. Mitchell famously participated in Trump’s 2021 phone call with Georgia officials pressuring them to “find” votes. Samantha Anderson, a data specialist reporting directly to Harvilicz, previously worked for the America First Policy Institute’s advocacy arm, which supported Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Shifting DHS Functions and Data-Gathering Efforts
Current and former DHS officials describe how Harvilicz and his team have transformed the office from a policy-focused role to a more hands-on operation. They have been deeply involved in administration efforts to scrutinize voter rolls for noncitizens. One such effort, reported by ProPublica, has incorrectly flagged hundreds of U.S. citizens as potential noncitizens. With Harvilicz overseeing election security policy, experts worry his team could influence how cybersecurity threats are assessed and communicated, especially if the 2024 results are contested.
“The security of our election infrastructure depends on leadership that is trusted, impartial and grounded in evidence—not individuals who have promoted conspiracy theories about the very systems they are now responsible for protecting,” said Danielle Lang, vice president for voting rights at the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan organization. “Placing someone with that background in charge of policies affecting election security can undermine public confidence in our elections at a time when trust is already fragile.”
Broader Context and Unprecedented Actions
Harvilicz’s central role comes as the current administration has taken several unprecedented steps that echo Trump’s 2020 claims. These include the FBI’s seizure of 2020 voting records from Fulton County, Georgia, and a team working for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard taking custody of Puerto Rico’s 2020 voting machines. A current DHS official voiced concern that Harvilicz’s position could make it “super easy” for officials to obtain voting machines after an election and “describe it as they want, if they don’t like the results.”
DHS Response and Harvilicz’s Background
DHS did not answer detailed questions about Harvilicz or his team, providing a general statement: “DHS and its employees are focused on keeping our elections safe, secure, and free. Every single day appointees at the Department of Homeland Security work to implement the President’s policies and keep our Homeland safe.” Harvilicz did not respond to questions. His X (formerly Twitter) profile lists his DHS role but notes he has been detailed to the Defense Department, a temporary assignment typically lasting 120 days.
Before his DHS appointment, Harvilicz had a varied career: a losing 2004 congressional candidate, a leader in a crowdfunding company, and founder of several cybersecurity ventures. He served in the first Trump administration as a cybersecurity official at the Department of Energy. In advance of his DHS appointment, Tranquility AI made a $100,000 donation to Trump’s inaugural fund through a nonprofit based at Harvilicz’s home address, The Intercept reported. Harvilicz told the outlet the donation was intended to help them meet administration policymakers.
Harvilicz is a prolific social media user who shares conservative content. After Trump’s 2024 victory, he wrote: “We will now dismantle the near communist takeover of America and return her to greatness.” In 2020, he purchased a $3.3 million home outside Los Angeles. After the Palisades Fire destroyed it in early 2025, he greeted President Trump’s tour of the disaster site with his young son, who held a picture of a bloodied Trump after an assassination attempt. Harvilicz told the Los Angeles Times he supported Trump making disaster aid conditional on California implementing voter ID
