FBI tells D.C. agents to avoid polling places, government statement says

The short version

• The FBI directed all employees stationed in D.C. to avoid polling locations, according to a government statement.[The Washington Sun]
• The directive followed at least two sightings of National Guard troops and other federal agents near places where Washingtonians vote.[The Washington Sun]
• The only exception is an active shooter at a polling location, and the instruction surfaced in lawsuits over alleged ICE deployments to polls.[The Washington Sun]
• The scope remains unclear, since the reporting also ties the instruction to federal agents on the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.[The Washington Sun]

Key facts

• The FBI directed all employees stationed in D.C. to avoid polling locations after learning over a weekend that agents may have been observed near an active polling location, according to a statement forwarded by a government attorney.[The Washington Sun]
• According to the FBI statement, the only exception to the prohibition is an active shooter at a particular polling location.[The Washington Sun]
• The directive followed at least two sightings of National Guard troops and other federal agents near places where Washingtonians vote.[The Washington Sun]
• Federal agents working for the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force have been instructed to stay away from polling places, according to the reporting.[The Washington Sun]
• The instruction was disclosed as part of a group of lawsuits against the federal government over alleged plans to dispatch ICE agents to polling sites.[The Washington Sun]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• FBI Agents Have Been Instructed to Stay Away From D.C. Polling SitesThe Washington Sun