White House on Risk of Repeat of January 6 Riot: No Credible Threats to US Midterm Election

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US law enforcement agencies have not identified any credible threats related to the midterm elections this week, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday.

"Law enforcement has briefed us that there are no specific credible threats identified at this point," Jean-Pierre remarked during a Monday briefing when asked whether there was a chance of repeat Jan. 6 events after the Tuesday midterms.

"[US] President [Joe Biden] has been briefed on the threat environment and directed that all appropriate steps be taken to ensure safe and secure voting occurs."

On January 6, 2021, pro-Trump demonstrators breached the Capitol complex and delayed the certification of 2020 presidential election results. Hundreds of individuals have since been charged with crimes related to the riot.

The press secretary's comments come shortly after the Civil Rights Division detailed plans on Monday that it would be monitoring compliance with federal voting laws across 24 states during the Tuesday election.

The group is expected to monitor compliance in states including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. Additionally, officials with the US Attorneys' Offices will work in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security to oversee the day's events. Personnel from the Office of Personnel Management will also be deployed to locations authorized by federal court order.

The monitoring itself comes following an interim report by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, which found that voting rights are subject to "numerous restrictions" in the US. OSCE also deployed 40 long-term observers across the US to monitor the midterms.

OSCE will release their preliminary findings on the elections on November 9.