Trump team warns of more election meddling

Intelligence officials say Russia, other actors trying to influence midterms

WASHINGTON – U.S. intelligence officials are worried Russia and perhaps other foreign actors look to interfere in November’s elections, just as Moscow did in 2016, members of President Donald Trump’s national security team said Thursday.

The government seeks to meet the threat by working with state and local election officials to protect voting systems from cyberattacks and to block Russia and others from engaging in them, the officials said.

“Our democracy itself is in the crosshairs,” Kirstjen Nielsen, secretary of homeland security, said at a White House briefing.

Though Trump has questioned whether Russia was involved in the 2016 election, national intelligence director Dan Coats said, “we continue to see a pervasive messaging campaign by Russia to try to weaken and divide the United States.”

The White House is feeling heat over election security, nearly two years after intelligence officials determined that Russia sought to influence the election by hacking Democrats and pushing phony news in an effort to benefit Trump.

Some lawmakers questioned Trump’s commitment to stop election meddling and said the administration has not done enough to help.

“Glad to see the White House finally do something about election security - even if it’s only a press conference,” tweeted Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. “Now if only it was actually backed up by anything the President has said or done on Russia.”

Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic push last month that would have provided $250 million to beef up election security.

The money would have been doled out in grants through the Federal Election Assistance Commission to replace outdated voting equipment and increase cybersecurity efforts.

National security adviser John Bolton responded to lawmakers’ criticism in a letter to senators Thursday that outlined steps being taken.

In the White House briefing, Bolton said Trump raised the question with Putin and is determined to block interference in this year’s campaigns.

“We meet on this constantly,” he said.

Trump raised his own concerns about Russian meddlers this fall but said they would seek to help Democrats trying to win control of Congress.

Democrats scoffed at that suggestion. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who is up for re-election, said there is evidence Russian hackers unsuccessfully targeted her Senate computer network.

Facebook said this week that it detected a campaign targeting hot-button social issues in the election using tactics that resemble those used by Russians.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said U.S. officials are working with counterparts in other countries, some of which also face the prospect of Russian election meddling.

“This a shared threat with our allies,” Wray said.