US spy bosses cite Putin

ONGOING: ‘RUSSIAN MEDDLING EFFORT REACHES INTO KREMLIN ITSELF’

Trump has voiced doubt on Moscow’s role in US poll prying.

Washington

US President Donald Trump’s national security team said on Thursday Russia is behind “pervasive” attempts to interfere in upcoming US elections, in a rejection of denials of meddling that Russian President Vladimir Putin made directly to Trump.

The top aides, including intelligence director Dan Coats and national security advisor John Bolton, stressed that a major effort was under way to protect the integrity of congressional elections in November and the 2020 presidential election.

“We acknowledge the threat, it is real, it is continuing, and we’re doing everything we can to have a legitimate election,” Coats said. “It is pervasive, it is ongoing, with the intent to ... drive a wedge and undermine our democratic values.”

Trump has voiced scepticism about Russia’s role in US election meddling, drawing accusations from Democrats and Republicans alike that he is ignoring a threat.

Coats, Bolton, FBI director Christopher Wray, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and the director of the National Security Agency, Paul Nakasone, said Russia was to blame, along

with other foreign actors. Coats said the Russian meddling effort reached into the Kremlin itself.

“Russia has used numerous ways to influence through media, social media, bots, actors they

hire, proxies – all of the above and potentially more,” he said. “We also know the Russians tried to hack into and steal information from candidates and government officials.” – Reuters