Indictments put Trump to test
Special counsel Robert Mueller has remained quiet about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, but on Friday he delivered his strongest statement yet. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced the indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers. The officers are being charged with conspiracies to hack assorted targets including the Democratic National Committee, state election systems, and other government agencies.
The 11-count indictment clearly explains a careful and coordinated attack on the Democrats’ information security and stability. The 12 officers are accused of an eye-opening number of operations: spearphishing Democratic campaign staffers in order to hack into their emails, attempting to hack into Hillary Clinton’s personal server, and attempting to re-direct campaign donations to site domains they had bought.
The indictments are a clear rebuke to the Russian government, which has consistently denied that it had any role in the hacking that preceded the 2016 election. (Shockingly, President Trump has also disputed the claim.)
Mueller maintained his professional silence and did not show up to the announcement.
But the impeccable timing of the indictments — just ahead of President Trump’s planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin — suggests that he clearly understands the geopolitical context of his work.
Since the indictments are largely symbolic (it’s highly unlikely that Mueller’s team will be able to compel the 12 Russians to stand trial in the U.S.), they may be meant to send a message to Putin that the U.S. government understands the extent of Russia’s interference in the election.
The indictments may also be meant to send a message to Putin that the U.S. government will not abide by any further attempts to hack into our election systems.
That’s a critical message for Russia to hear from the U.S. Department of Justice right now. Election security experts have raised alarms that Russia may try to interfere with the 2018 U.S. midterm elections.
No Americans were indicted on Friday, and Rosenstein was careful to emphasize the need for the country to avoid partisanship when it comes to the investigation.
“When we confront foreign interference in American elections, it’s important for us to avoid thinking politically as Republicans or Democrats and instead to think patriotically as Americans,” Rosenstein said.
Mueller’s thorough, detailed charges blow that conspiracy to bits. They’re also a confirmation of everything the intelligence community has said about the 2016 election — and a signal that there’s much more to come.
Now the American president who has derided the Mueller investigation as “a witch hunt” will be meeting face-to-face with the leader of the nation whose military orchestrated this attack on our democracy. Trump will be put to the test: Will he side with the evidence and forcefully confront Putin, or leave this nation disgraced and vulnerable by continuing to accept the Russian leader’s unconvincing denials?