The US Department of Justice is investigating unfounded claims that Venezuela helped steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump, according to sources. Federal investigators have interviewed multiple promoters of the conspiracy theory, which has been widely discredited and led to defamation payouts from Fox News, Newsmax and OAN.
The probe involves the US attorney for Puerto Rico, W Stephen Muldrow, who has received briefings from two key figures pushing the theory: former CIA officer Gary Berntsen and Venezuelan expatriate Martin Rodil. They have shared witnesses and documents with officials. Separately, a federal taskforce in Tampa focusing on Venezuelan drug trafficking and money laundering has also interviewed people promoting the claims.
The conspiracy theory asserts that electronic voting in the US was secretly controlled by Venezuela's regime, both under President Nicolás Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez. It centres on voting machine companies Smartmatic and Dominion, alleging they were created or influenced by Venezuela to fix elections. A Delaware judge ruled the claims false in 2023.
The investigation comes as the Trump administration ramps up military posturing in the Caribbean and rhetoric against Maduro. Critics warn the revived conspiracy theory could provide a rationale for military action against Venezuela. The justice department's involvement underscores how Trump's administration is using federal resources to challenge the 2020 election outcome.
Berntsen, who wrote a book about hunting Osama bin Laden, is a vocal Trump supporter and advocate for invading Venezuela. Rodil, a Washington-based Venezuelan consultant, has reportedly recruited informants for US law enforcement. Both deny promoting conspiracy theories, insisting they are defending the US election system.
