Federal investigators within Donald Trump's Department of Justice are actively examining thoroughly debunked conspiracy theories alleging Venezuela helped steal the 2020 presidential election, the Guardian can exclusively reveal.
The Investigation Unfolds
According to four separate sources, multiple individuals promoting the unfounded election-rigging claims have been interviewed by federal investigators. Two prominent promoters of the conspiracy theory, Gary Berntsen and Martin Rodil, have repeatedly briefed the US attorney for the district of Puerto Rico, W Stephen Muldrow, sharing witnesses and documents with officials.
In a parallel development, four sources confirmed that people pushing the same conspiracy have been interviewed by a federal taskforce in Tampa, known as Panama Express (Panex). This taskforce, which traditionally focused on Venezuelan drug trafficking and money laundering, is now reportedly involved in examining these election allegations.
A Discredited Theory Resurfaces
The central claim of the conspiracy theory asserts that electronic voting in the United States was secretly controlled by Venezuela's impoverished regime, implicating both current President Nicolás Maduro and his deceased predecessor, Hugo Chavez. The theory specifically targets voting machine companies Smartmatic and Dominion, alleging they were created or influenced by Venezuela to fix elections.
This theory has been comprehensively discredited. A judge in Delaware ruled it false in 2023, and major conservative media outlets including Fox News, Newsmax, and OAN subsequently paid a total of hundreds of millions of dollars in defamation claims related to promoting these false allegations.
Political Implications and Key Figures
The revival of these claims appears to strategically bind together two of Trump's consistent political themes: his assertions of a "rigged election" and his longstanding antagonism toward Venezuela's socialist government. With increased military presence in the Caribbean and heightened rhetoric from the Trump administration directed at Maduro, these unfounded theories could potentially provide a rationale for military action.
The investigation's primary sources, Berntsen and Rodil, present unique profiles. Berntsen is a former CIA case officer who gained public recognition for his hunt for Osama bin Laden. He describes himself as a "fierce champion of Trump and of an invasion of Venezuela." In a message to the Guardian, Berntsen stated, "The Department of Justice and FBI and key White House Staff are investigating and coordinating efforts to defend our system."
Rodil, a Venezuelan expatriate based in Washington, claims twenty years of experience as a consultant to US law enforcement investigating Venezuelan crime. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reported in 2022 that Rodil was under investigation in Spain for allegedly extorting three Venezuelans, though the status of that case remains unclear.
Sources familiar with the relationship describe extensive cooperation between Muldrow, Berntsen, and Rodil, noting "multiple briefings in Puerto Rico" and describing Muldrow as "very receptive" to the voting allegations.
Broader Context and Consequences
This investigation underscores how Trump's justice department is becoming instrumental in the president's efforts to reframe the narrative of his 2020 election loss. The timing is particularly significant given the administration's increased sabre-rattling toward Venezuela.
Ralph Pezzullo, co-author of Berntsen's 2006 book and author of a recent e-book promoting the conspiracy theories, told the Guardian he also spoke with Muldrow. Pezzullo claimed Muldrow assured him the election fraud claims were correct, stating "Trump knows they need to be stopped" regarding Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Muldrow remains one of the few US attorneys retained after Trump's return to office. First appointed by Trump in 2019, he maintained his position during Biden's term and is described by associates as a staunch Republican and Trump supporter.
The persistence of this investigation into a thoroughly debunked conspiracy theory raises significant questions about the intersection of law enforcement and political narrative in contemporary American politics.
