Kash Patel said this week that federal investigators are preparing potential criminal cases tied to the 2020 presidential election, indicating that arrests could come in the near future as part of a broader Justice Department effort.
Speaking during an interview on Fox News with host Maria Bartiromo, Patel said the Federal Bureau of Investigation is working with prosecutors and the U.S. Department of Justice on what he described as a developing case.
“I can announce… that we’ve got all the information we need,” Patel said. “We’re working with our prosecutors… and we are going to be making arrests, and it’s coming soon.”
Patel did not provide specific details about potential suspects, charges, or timelines beyond suggesting that developments could occur “this week.” He said the matter remains part of an active investigation, limiting what he could disclose publicly.
The comments come amid renewed federal activity related to election records. Authorities have recently obtained or sought access to materials from multiple jurisdictions, including Fulton County, Georgia, and Maricopa County, Arizona—two areas that were central to post-election disputes in 2020.
In addition, the Justice Department has reportedly requested ballots from Wayne County, Michigan, as part of its review. Officials have not publicly detailed the scope or legal basis of these requests beyond stating they are tied to ongoing investigative work.
Patel said the inquiry is being pursued in coordination with Attorney General Todd Blanche and federal prosecutors, describing it as a potential “conspiracy case” related to the 2020 election.
“We have the information… but because it’s an ongoing prosecution investigation, I can’t get ahead of the DOJ,” Patel said, adding that further developments would be disclosed through formal legal channels.
The investigation appears to intersect with broader efforts by the Justice Department to review past federal inquiries. In a related move, the DOJ has appointed former U.S. attorney Joseph diGenova to help oversee a separate probe into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation.
That inquiry is examining actions taken by intelligence and law enforcement officials, including former CIA Director John Brennan. Brennan has denied wrongdoing and previously defended the intelligence community’s conclusions regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.
A federal grand jury connected to that probe has been active since last year, and investigators have issued subpoenas seeking documents related to intelligence assessments and decision-making processes at the time.
Separately, Patel told lawmakers during congressional testimony earlier this year that the FBI has opened multiple investigations into potential election-related violations, including allegations involving noncitizen voting. However, he did not provide specific figures or confirm whether any cases had resulted in charges.
Federal officials have not yet released comprehensive findings supporting claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. However, there are numerous documented cases of election malfeasance, including broken chain of custody on mail-in ballots, wrongly counted ballots in the Georgia election, and unconstitutional election rules changes that did not go through the state legislatures.
If taken as a whole, critics contend, there were more than enough wrongfully counted ballots in the 2020 election to have changed the final presidential vote tally.
Still, the current investigation suggests that federal authorities are continuing to examine specific allegations and are pursuing potential legal action where evidence meets prosecutorial standards.
Legal experts note that any arrests or charges would need to be supported by documented evidence and would ultimately be tested in court. They also emphasize that investigations of this scale can involve complex timelines and may not immediately result in public filings.
For now, Patel’s comments signal that the Justice Department is actively advancing at least one line of inquiry related to the 2020 election, with possible enforcement actions on the horizon.
Whether those efforts lead to indictments or broader legal conclusions remains to be seen, as officials continue to operate within the constraints of an ongoing federal investigation.