Intimidation, Not Investigation: The Chamberlain Network Decries FBI Raid on Ohio Organizing Collaborative

Atlanta, GA - The Chamberlain Network today condemned the FBI's raid on the Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC), a Cleveland-based nonprofit that helps underrepresented communities register to vote and participate in American civic life. On Thursday, more than 100 federal agents descended on the organization's offices, showed up at staff members' homes, followed workers to their children's schools, and seized laptops and electronic devices. 

This raid follows a disturbing pattern. Earlier this year, FBI agents raided the Fulton County, Georgia election hub — a raid that legal experts have since warned may have been illegal, and which ProPublica revealed was predicated on a fraud report the FBI's own officials had already debunked. The message being sent is unmistakable: political opponents will face criminal prosecution.

"This is a naked attempt to silence organizations that do the hard, unglamorous work of making democracy function," said Chris Purdy, CEO and Founder of The Chamberlain Network. "This was an effort by the government to intimidate its critics. Full stop.” 

The veteran community is uniquely attuned to attacks on a free civil society. Veterans, like many Americans, rely on nonprofits for many everyday activities. The administration’s continued attacks on these institutions will be felt across the country.

“The tactics deployed against the Ohio Organizing Collaborative are designed to produce a chilling effect among community leaders across the state,” said Brandon Waithe, an Ohio Veteran and Chamberlain Network Fellow. “The veteran community in Ohio stands firmly in support of our civil society partners in calling out this attack on our fellow Ohioans and our shared values. ”

The Chamberlain Network calls on Congress to conduct immediate oversight of this operation, demand the return of seized materials, and hold accountable any official who authorized the use of federal law enforcement as a political weapon. 

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The Chamberlain Network mobilizes and empowers veterans to work within their communities to uphold free and fair elections and cultivate a respectful civic society that supports healthy democratic institutions. Through leadership training, issue education, and support for locally driven initiatives, the organization equips veterans to take meaningful action that rebuilds trust in our democracy.https://www.chamberlainnetwork.us/