Russian hackingTrump absolves Russia, rejects U.S. intel. community evidence, over Russia’s DNC hacking
In an astonishing statement on Wednesday, Trump again absolved Russia from responsibility for the hacking of the DNC and the Clinton campaigns. Trump told Time magazine that the U.S. intelligence was accusing Russia of the hack because of politics and that he rejected their conclusion. Democrats in both houses of Congress are pressuring the administration to disclose more details about Russia’s role in disrupting the campaign of Hillary Clinton in order to help Donald Trump win the 2016 U.S. elections. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said he would lead an inquiry into the Russian operation. Graham said he would pursue inquiries via subcommittees of which he is the chair.
Democrats in both houses of Congress are pressuring the administration to disclose more details about Russia’s role in disrupting the campaign of Hillary Clinton in order to help Donald Trump win the 2016 U.S. elections.
The White House has not responded to last week’s letter signed by every Democrat member of the Senate intelligence committee seeking declassification of “additional information concerning the Russian government and the US election” (see “Declassify information related to Russia’s meddling in the U.S. election: Lawmakers,” HSNW, 1 December 2016).
The Wall Street Journal reports that now, senior House Democrats have also written to the president, asking for a classified briefing for lawmakers on “Russian entities’ hacking of American political organizations; hacking and strategic release of emails from campaign officials; the WikiLeaks disclosures; fake news stories produced and distributed with the intent to mislead American voters; and any other Russian or Russian-related interference or involvement in our recent election.”
The letter was signed by Democratic whip Steny Hoyer (Maryland) and the top Democrats on the House judiciary, intelligence, armed services, foreign affairs, and oversight committees.
The WSJ notes that the letters of the Senators and House members — several of whom with access to classified intelligence – all but explicitly say that the Obama administration and the U.S. intelligence agencies know much more about Russian government interference in the election than they have disclosed.
Also on Wednesday, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-California) and Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland) unveiled legislation to create a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate the Russian government meddling in the 2016 election. The panel would be similar to the panel that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It would be composed of outside experts in computer security, elections law, and foreign policy and would have the power to interview witnesses and issue subpoenas as well as obtain documents and hear public testimony.
During the fall campaign, Republicans in Congress blocked efforts by Democrat lawmakers to launch an investigation in the Russian cyber campaign on behalf of Trump, but some Republicans are now calling for such an investigation. The WSJ notes that Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said he would lead an inquiry into the Russian operation. Graham, who made similar calls in the fall, told CNN that he would pursue inquiries via subcommittees of which he is the chair.
