US ELECTION: US spy chief warns Russian "interference" program is already underway
By: GEO´ Newsteam
City of London Newsroom
US intelligence officials have warned that Russia is planning to facilitate a second term for incumbent
president, Donald Trump in a closed-door briefing to the House Intelligence Committee.
Last week's briefing, led by top election security official, Shelby Pierson, and first reported by The New York Times, outlined the scope of Russia´s program including hacking, weaponizing social media and attacks on election infrastructure in a bid to secure a second term for incumbent US president, Donald Trump. Sources say that the "program" has been underway for several months.
The briefing said Russia clearly favours Trump, but that helping Trump wasn't the only thing they were trying to do as it was also designed to raise questions about the integrity of the elections process.
The prospect of further interference in 2020 will test the robustness of new US cyber defences put in place to put to stop "foreign meddling" in the election process.
This follows on from Russia's [alleged] interference in the 2016 election, which US intelligence
officials believe was directly aimed at boosting Trump's candidacy by damaging opponent and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Of course that led to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Trump has repeatedly downplayed any suggestion that the Kremlin influence played a role in his election.
White House sources have revealed that Trump was apparently furious about the revelation, castigating outgoing acting Director of National Intelligence, Joseph Maguire for allowing the information about Russia's meddling efforts to be included in the briefing saying that complaining that Democrats would use the information against him.
