Obama orders review of election-season hacking
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Barack Obama shook hands with Russian President President Vladimir Putin, in Sept. 2015, before a bilateral meeting at United Nations headquarters. Obama has ordered intelligence officials to conduct a broad review on the election-season hacking that rattled the presidential campaign and raised new concerns about foreign meddling in U.S. elections, a White House official said today.
WASHINGTON » President Barack Obama has ordered intelligence officials to conduct a broad review of election-season cyberattacks, including the email hacks that rattled the presidential campaign and raised fresh concerns about Russia’s meddling in U.S. elections, the White House said today.
The review, led by intelligence agencies, will be a “deep dive” into a possible pattern of increased “malicious cyber activity” timed to the campaign season, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said. The review will look at the tactics, targets, key actors and the U.S. government’s response to the recent email hacks, as well as incidents reported in past elections, he said.
The president ordered up the report earlier this week and asked that it be completed before he leaves office next month, Schultz said.
“The president wanted this done under his watch because he takes it very seriously,” he said. “We are committed to ensuring the integrity of our elections.”
U.S. intelligence officials accused Russia of hacking into Democratic officials’ email accounts in an attempt to interfere with the presidential campaign. The Kremlin rejected the accusations.
In the months leading up to the election, email accounts of Democratic Party officials and a top Hillary Clinton campaign aide were breached, emails leaked and embarrassing and private emails posted online. Many Democrats believe the hackings benefited Republican Donald Trump’s bid. Trump has downplayed the possibility that Russia was involved.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Schultz said the president sought the probe as a way of improving U.S. defense against cyberattacks and was not intending to question the legitimacy of Trump’s victory.
“This is not an effort to challenge the outcome of the election,” Schultz said.
Obama’s move comes as Democratic lawmakers have been pushing Obama to declassify more information about Russia’s role, fearing that Trump, who has promised a warmer relationship with Moscow, may not prioritize the issue.
Given Trump’s statements, “there is an added urgency to the need for a thorough review before President Obama leaves office next month,” said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee. If the administration doesn’t respond “forcefully” to such actions, “we can expect to see a lot more of this in the near future,” he said.
The White House said it would make portions of the report public and would brief lawmakers and relevant state officials on the findings.
It emphasized the report would not focus solely on Russian operations or hacks involving Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and Democratic National Committee accounts. Schultz stressed officials would be reviewing incidents going back to the 2008 presidential campaign, when the campaigns of Sen. John McCain and Obama were breached by hackers.
Intelligence officials have said Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney were targets of Chinese cyberattacks four years later.
30 responses to “Obama orders review of election-season hacking”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Why would Russia want a particular candidate to win? Because they’re kind and want us to have the best, smartest president? NO.
Your team lost, get over it. You might find this hard to believe but you and your asinine attitude and not the Russians cost Clinton the election.
Where’ only a few weeks away from a long overdue “review” of Obama’s DOJ.
I am real happy he’s checking into the election hacking. I never could figure out how a guy who no one knew his background, no one in college knew him yet he won a senatorial seat–that I possibly could understand–it’s Chicago–and then campaigning on “Change” which we are still waiting for, won the presidential election TWICE!!! Must have been hacked elections!!
The Chairman of the National Security Agency said he was certain the Russians had hacked into the Democratic National Committee’s files, and were relaying the info to Julian Assange of WikiLeaks. Why is Trump saying, he does not believe the Russians are the hacks? Could it be he has real estate connections with Putin in Russia, and trying to protect Putin? Trump did sell a multi-million estate in Florida to one of Russia’s richest men.
The Russian ruble has been devalued by half since sanctions were placed on Russia after they invaded the Ukraine and captured Crimea. Now, the rich Russian oligarchs are buying huge amounts of real estate in this country to convert their rubles into dollar denominated real estate to protect their assets.
Would Hussein have “ordered” this circus if Bill’s wife had won ???
Desperate people does desperate things.
Lame-Duck Hussein should just plan his, hopefully last, “Christmas” vacation in Hawaii Nei.
at our expense, mind you
That’s why he does it !!!
Shoot… if he had to pay for his entourage to spend 2-weeks in a rented mansion in Hawaii, he’s spend it in Chicago or Indonesia or Kenya.
The Russians, Chinese, Iranians, ISIS, Al Queda and others who do not like us, are using cyber espionage as a weapon against our political system, our businesses, our intellectual and technological properties, our info- telecom networks, and our military. We have to stay ahead of them in cyber warfare.
Vacation, we talkin’ the Vacation, not the Hacking of Democracy, not the Hacking of Democracy but the Vacation!!!…All Obama is doing is MOVING to Hawaii for two weeks like Trump moving to New York instead of Washington…Is paying to LIVE in Hawaii for a two weeks MORE or LESS than what it will cost for Trump to live in New York and sometimes Washington? #MAGA
The foreign countries hacking into our countries secrets, into our military, and our political system is not a circus, but cyber warfare.
But what about the Vacation? #MAGA
I don’t know if I would rate the Democrat’s backroom-back stabbing one of our countries important “secrets.” Maybe Hillary and her pet weasel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz did.
Obama mocked Trump when he said the elections are rigged. Now this??
Trumps rallies garnered tens of thousands of supporters. Clinton rallies were usually in the hundreds. How did she win the popular vote??
How did she win the popular vote?????
It’s called “hacking” !
So you’re saying there is a CHANCE…That’s the spirit. #MAGA
No problem with Trump mocking Obama, seems like the TRUE American should feel more offended that THEIR President was being mocked…#MAGA
O is using this email hacking scheme to distract from the REAL reason Crooked Nasty Corrupt hiLIARy lost the election (she had a small roll besides being CORRUPT & WORTHLESS candidate)…it was a REPUDIATION of O….period!
Did WikiLeaks expose the TRUTH or LIES?
What has O accomplished that benefited a MAJORITY of Americans?
January 20, 2017 #MAGA
The same day the 8 year NIGHTMARE ends!
……Out of desperation,they’ll, (Obama in this case) try anything to alter the election results even Blaming the Russians.LOL.
Kinda makes you think why President Obama, always resorts to demagoguing the Russians, maybe this is the reason he could never have a normal relation with the Russian People? Or Hillary for that matter?
“Maybe” this is Barry’s one last ditch effort to save his legacy? What ever that is! Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Or “maybe”,(this one I like) his concerns could be greater with regards to the $1.3 Billion (Hush Hush money) Ransom payment to Iran. And how quick the State Department reacted and said” The USA does not Pay Ransom payment to any country”.lol. They tried to hide it folks. Tried and failed.
You know and you can bet,President Elect Trump will surely be looking into that one!
But for now you can Bet that President Obama is NOT done yet! He’ll try anything and cause more damage to disrupt and avoid a smooth presidential transistion with President Elect Trump. Bet on it! 43 days and counting!IMUA
Why is Trump cozying up to Putin, and allowing the Russians to join Syrian President Assad in the destruction and deaths of 300,000 people in Syria?
MSM bias…You gotta start thinking on your OWN…#MAGA
“The president wanted this done under his watch because he takes it very seriously,” …
What BS. If Barry took it seriously he would have started the investigation when the first batch of e-mails were leaked way before the elections.
Because EVERYONE would have said he’s trying to interfere with the outcome, AND probably because he was over confident on Clinton winning. Did I get your question correct??? #MAGA
More hacked emails to come? When?
Hopefully we can someone to EQUAL it out…would be good to see some Republican and Trump emails…That would UNITE us…Make us realize, “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” Maya Angelou #MAGA
What is your obsession with that horrible old witch Angelou?
I’ll bet you admire Angela Davis and Chesimard too. Did you learn about her in school? You sound like an overly educated idiot.
Now why won’t this fella just fade away quietly. He is the climax to draining the swamp.
Get the plunger or he’ll plug up the drain.
They’ll throw Hilliary in jail for sure now.