A cluster of employees affiliated with the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a conservative think tank closely aligned with the Trump administration, have secured positions within the US Census Bureau, granting them access to highly sensitive demographic information. According to recent findings by WIRED, these staffers are part of a broader effort that has drawn concern from experts and current employees who fear the data may be weaponized to cast doubt on electoral integrity ahead of the midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race.
In August, the Census Bureau released an anonymously authored report titled “Noncitizen Voting in the 2020 Election: A Beginning Analysis.” The document alleged that thousands of noncitizens cast ballots in the 2020 election, a claim that experts have widely criticized. A subsequent WIRED investigation revealed that the report relied on flawed methodology, undermining its conclusions. More critically, the probe identified that two of the report’s authors are employees of AFPI, a group with deep ties to the current administration.
Further investigation indicates that the two identified authors are merely part of a larger contingent. At least five additional AFPI members have been or are currently detailed to the Census Bureau. These appointments were facilitated through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA), a federal mechanism that allows professionals from nonprofits and universities to work temporarily within government agencies.
The revelation has sparked anxiety among Census personnel regarding the protection of data used for congressional apportionment and the allocation of federal funds. One employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the level of AFPI involvement as unprecedented. “Frankly, it’s disrespectful to the institution,” the source stated, noting that there has historically been “nothing close” to the current operational influence exerted by the think tank at the bureau.
This development follows a pattern of administrative attempts to reshape how demographic data is collected and interpreted. Earlier this year, the Department of Commerce, which oversees the Census, circulated a proposed rule change that would exclude noncitizens from the official population count. Such a shift could significantly alter the drawing of congressional districts. Additionally, Republican officials have targeted the use of differential privacy—a statistical method designed to protect respondent confidentiality—arguing incorrectly that it skews census results in favor of Democrats.
AFPI has played a substantial role in staffing the Trump administration. Several former or current members hold or have held high-ranking positions, including Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, former Attorney General Pam Bondi, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, HUD Secretary Scott Turner, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker, and economic advisors Heidi Overton and Kevin Hassett.
Critics warn that the presence of these affiliated staffers within the Census Bureau represents a strategic move to leverage authoritative government data to support conspiracy theories about election fraud, potentially destabilizing public trust in democratic processes ahead of critical voting cycles.
Respectfully, using a think tank to push political agendas inside the Census Bureau seems undemocratic and dangerous.
Does this mean differential privacy protections might be rolled back too? That would compromise everyone’s data.
The flawed methodology in the noncitizen voting report was already widely debunked. It’s alarming they’re still influential.
I’m shocked that IPA details are being used this way. Doesn’t this violate the spirit of the law?
This is exactly why we need stronger safeguards for nonpartisan data collection in federal agencies.