Trumpublicons: Foreign Influence/Grifting in '16 US Election

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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby seemslikeadream » Fri Nov 18, 2016 5:14 pm

the letter was sent ..hopefully there will be hearings...that's the news


the letter has nothing to do with Corn he just reported it ...Cummings sent the letter


the substantiated source is the copy of the letter sent by Cummings

please don't make this personal and don't accuse me of linking to FauxNews or Breitbart

Mother Jones is a fine source and I will link to it whenever I feel like it

I implore you ...I am begging you to stop personally attacking me ....it's perfectly fine to disagree with what I post but please stop the personal attacks and accusing me for things I have not done


the substantiated source is the copy of the letter sent by Cummings
Here's Cummings' full letter:
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Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby MacCruiskeen » Fri Nov 18, 2016 5:40 pm

I am begging you to stop personally attacking me ....it's perfectly fine to disagree with what I post but please stop the personal attacks and accusing me for things I have not done


Enough, slad. You are imagining things. I have just gone out of my to defend you. I am not personally attacking you. So stop talking rubbish. Ever since this insane "election process" started you have chosen to regard every disagreement, every rebuttal and every refutal as a personal attack.

Enough, really.

Americans need to get over themselves. Whiney teenagers might have some excuse for their whining. But I have really had an absolute bellyful of it from adults (this evening too, yes, goddammit). And yes, this European city too is full of insufferable privileged middle-aged moneyed White American property-owning know-nothings talking absolute bullshit and whining about their pain and begging for pity.

Get real. Join the planet, ffs.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby seemslikeadream » Fri Nov 18, 2016 5:50 pm

Fox News is also happening. So is The Sun (UK). So is Breitbart and The Daily Beast and The Daily Stormer. So post all of that too, for "news value". Don't leave anything out. Ignore all rebuttals and refutals. Because that's what The New RI is all about, isn't it? Anything goes.

Post all shite here, however stupid and unsubstantiated, however dodgy the source. It's all grist to the somebody's mill.



I take the accusation that I would ever link to FoxNews or Breitbart and the like as a personal insult ...I would NEVER link to any of that crap....what I posted was substantiated .....it was a letter from Congressman Cummings by way of the website Mother Jones which is a perfectly fine news source....it is NOT DOGGY....I posted the actual letter
Last edited by seemslikeadream on Fri Nov 18, 2016 5:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby MacCruiskeen » Fri Nov 18, 2016 5:51 pm

seemslikeadream wrote:I take the accusation that I would ever link to FoxNews or Breitbart and the like as a personal insult


Learn to read, ffs.

Enough.
Last edited by MacCruiskeen on Fri Nov 18, 2016 5:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Ich kann gar nicht so viel fressen, wie ich kotzen möchte." - Max Liebermann,, Berlin, 1933

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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby seemslikeadream » Fri Nov 18, 2016 5:52 pm

oh that's nice...learn to read...that's not at all personal is it?


So post all of that too, for "news value". Don't leave anything out.

Post all shite here, however stupid and unsubstantiated, however dodgy the source.



you are correct ENOUGH!


There is no reason why I should take your "nicely worded suggestion" that I not post a Mother Jones link ...it is in no was a dodgy the source....period
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby seemslikeadream » Tue Nov 29, 2016 9:05 pm

Senior Senate Democrat Calls for Congressional Probe of Russian Meddling in US Election
Still, the Ds aren't mounting a fierce push, and the Rs seem uninterested.

DAVID CORN
NOV. 29, 2016 3:04 PM


The future top Democrat in the Senate has called for a congressional investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, who will succeed the retiring Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) as the Senate minority leader in the Congress that convenes in January, has signed on to the demand for a congressional inquiry into the Russian hacking of political targets—including the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign—during the 2016 campaign. "Foreign interference in our elections is a serious issue, and deserves a vigorous investigation," Schumer tells Mother Jones.

Two weeks ago, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, sent a letter to Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the committee's chairman, asking that Chaffetz launch an investigation of Russian intervention in the election. This request came two days after the chief of the National Security Agency, Admiral Michael Rogers, said a "nation-state"—meaning Russia—had messed in the 2016 elections "to achieve a specific effect." Rogers was referring to the hacking of Democratic targets and the release of the pilfered information via WikiLeaks. Cummings noted in his letter that Chaffetz had told him that he was "open to considering such an investigation." But Chaffetz has yet to respond to Cummings, according to a Cummings spokesperson. And a spokeswoman for Chaffetz did not respond to a request for comment.

Talking to reporters earlier this month, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the top House Democrat, said Democrats would demand such a probe: "Something is not right with this picture and I think the American people deserve an investigation into how a foreign government had an impact on our election." And Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who was harshly critical of Trump during the campaign, proposed that Congress hold hearings on "Russia's misadventures throughout the world," including the DNC hack. "Were they involved in cyberattacks that had a political component to it in our elections?" Graham recently asked.

In August, Harry Reid demanded the FBI investigate "Russian government tampering in our presidential election" and connections between Donald Trump's campaign and Moscow. (In October, he claimed the FBI possessed "explosive information about close ties and coordination between Trump, his top advisers, and the Russian government.) A congressional inquiry would differ from an FBI criminal or counterintelligence investigation in that it could result in public hearings and a public report. An FBI investigation would not necessarily yield any public information, unless it led to an indictment. Any CIA and NSA investigation of Russian hacking would likely remain secret.

Though Democrats have urged a congressional investigation of Moscow's involvement in the 2016 election, this call has hardly been full-throated. Pelosi has not repeatedly demanded a probe, and Schumer has not yet signaled this as a top priority. The Obama administration issued a statement in October declaring that the "U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations." But President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have not said much about the Russian operation or directly voiced support for a public investigation. In October, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said, "There are a range of responses that are available to the president, and he will consider a response that is proportional." He added that the president's decision might never be acknowledged or disclosed.

So with the exception of Cummings' effort, there has been no fierce push for an investigation that would dig into the covert Russian campaign to affect US politics and that would inform the public about what happened, what investigations were conducted by law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and what has been done to prevent further meddling in order to ensure the security of US elections.

Yet more than 150 academic experts on cybersecurity, national defense, authoritarian regimes, and free and fair elections have signed a letter requesting a congressional investigation. The letter noted:

We represent a wide range of viewpoints on most issues, but on one point we agree: our polarized political climate must not prevent our elected representatives from doing what is right. In this case, what is right is simple: our country needs a thorough, public Congressional investigation into the role that foreign powers played in the months leading up to November. As representatives of the American people, Congress is best positioned to conduct an objective investigation…With concerns rising on both sides of the political aisle about myriad practices that challenge free and fair elections, a public investigation promises to provide the transparency needed to calm Americans' fears and restore faith in our political process. As voting American citizens, we know that nothing could be more important for our country.

In his letter to Chaffetz, Cummings wrote, "Elections are the bedrock of our nation's democracy. Any attempt by a foreign power to undermine them is a direct attack on our core democratic values, and it should chill every Member of Congress and American—red or blue—to the core." But few legislators are acting as if they are indeed chilled to the core. And Democrats, who were the victims of the hacking attributed to Vladimir Putin's regime, are generally not in an uproar about the matter. With Republican leaders showing little interest in scrutinizing Russian interference in an election that handed the GOP the White House and both houses of Congress, Democrats might have to be more vociferous in their demand for an investigation to have any chance of delivering to the public an explanation of what happened to US democracy in 2016.

UPDATE: On Sunday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said there ought to be a congressional inquiry into Russian hacking related to the election. On Meet the Press, Rubio noted, "If a foreign government has been involved in injecting chaos into our democratic process, the American people deserve to know that." He added, "And it's something that we should not allow to stand without informing the American people of that reality. Let me just say this. I've never said it's the Russian government, although I believe it was the work of a foreign government. I will say this. If you look at what happened during our election and the sort of things that were interjected into the election process, they are very similar to the sort of active measures that you've seen the Russians use in the past in places like Eastern Europe, to interfere with the elections of other countries. And what we mean by 'interfere' is they try to undermine the credibility of the election. They try to undermine individual leaders. And they try to create chaos in the political discourse. And the fundamental argument behind it is they want people to—they want to delegitimize the process." When host Chuck Todd asked Rubio if this was "worthy of congressional scrutiny," the senator replied, "Absolutely."
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/201 ... nald-trump


Senators vow to counter Trump on Russia
BY JORDAIN CARNEY - 11/20/16 08:00 AM EST 476

Senators are pledging to take a firm line with Russia next year, setting up a potential conflict with incoming President Donald Trump.

Skeptical of Trump’s warmer relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, lawmakers in both parties are breaking with the incoming administration to carve out a tougher stance.

Lawmakers would like the president-elect to rein in Russia, but they’re also signaling that Congress will act on its own.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said when it comes to Russia he’s planning to be “a bit of a hard ass.”

“We cannot sit on the sidelines as a party and let allegations against a foreign government interfering in our election process go unanswered because it may have been beneficial to our case for the moment,” he said.

The Obama administration formally accused Russia of hacking and leaking Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails last month as lawmakers debated how to respond to Moscow.

Graham added that he is planning a multi-pronged approach: A package to better help allies in eastern Europe counter Russian aggression and a series of hearings to shine a spotlight on Russia's “misadventures.”

Graham’s closest ally, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, separately warned Trump against another “reset” of U.S.-Moscow relations, arguing that he should be skeptical of Putin’s quest for a better relationship.

"We should place as much faith in such statements as any other made by a former KGB agent who has plunged his country into tyranny, murdered his political opponents, invaded his neighbors, threatened America's allies and attempted to undermine America's elections," McCain said.

The increased pressure from the Senate comes as the House passed legislation that would impose mandatory sanctions on anyone who provides financial or technological support to Syria’s government, which is mired in a civil war. The bill was widely seen as targeting Russia and Iran, the Syrian regime's two biggest backers.

GOP lawmakers have bristled for years, believing President Obama hasn’t been firm enough against Putin, or done enough — including providing lethal aid — to help Ukrainian fighters combat Russian-backed separatists.

Lawmakers have also quietly voiced concerns about Trump’s positioning on Moscow for months, but are increasingly speaking up as the president-elect begins to set up his administration.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, questioned the choice of former military intelligence chief Michael Flynn as Trump’s national security advisor.

"I am deeply concerned about his views on Russia, which over the last 12 months have demonstrated the same fondness for the autocratic and belligerent Kremlin which animate President-elect Trump's praise of Vladimir Putin," Schiff said.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) echoed that Friday, saying he is “disturbed by General Flynn’s relationships and ties with Russian actors.”

Flynn retired from the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014 after a rocky tenure and reports that he was forced out. He's been increasingly critical of Obama since leaving the military.

Cardin, the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, is pushing Congress to pass new legislation, while also noting President Obama could take additional action before he leaves office.

“There are Democrats and Republicans that are, I think most members of Congress, that are very concerned about Russia’s activities and how we try to reconcile that with statements that Donald Trump made during the course of his campaign,” he said at a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Russia forum.

Cardin, who is keeping Dems' top spot on the Foreign Relations panel next year, said he would introduce “comprehensive” legislation to push back against Russia’s “violation of international norms.”

He added that the legislation would push back against Russian cyberattacks and “put on the table” expanded sanctions against individuals found to be tied to the hacks.

Cardin has previously noted diplomats' concerns about Trump. He said Friday that a Trump administration must recognize that Russia is a “global bully and adversary…[it is] not a partner.”

With the Senate facing a limited year-end schedule, and a myriad of policy issues left to tackle including funding the government, the House legislation targeting Russia isn’t likely to get passed by the Senate this year.

Any legislation in the Senate targeting Russia would also need to go through the Foreign Relations Committee.

Noting the short schedule, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the committee chairman, said “that’s something we’ll take up after the first of the year.”

But Corker demurred when asked what the Trump White House's response would be to new legislation cracking down on Russia.

“I don’t really know,” he said. “I think people are trying to figure out where they are going to be.”
http://thehill.com/policy/national-secu ... -on-russia
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby seemslikeadream » Wed Nov 30, 2016 1:55 pm

FBI may have also been investigating Trump
FBI may have been investigating Trump when Comey announced new Clinton emails

By Jason Leopold on Nov 30, 2016

Just 11 days before the U.S. presidential election, FBI Director James Comey wrote a letter to Congress letting them know that the agency had found additional emails that “appear to be pertinent” to its investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private email server.

It was extremely unusual for the bureau to be so forthcoming about an investigation, and the move drew harsh criticism from both Democrats and Republicans who accused Comey of deliberately trying to turn the election in Trump’s favor.

Ten days after the election, the FBI responded to a longstanding VICE News Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, revealing that the bureau may very well have been investigating Donald Trump, too.

In September, VICE News and Ryan Shapiro, a doctoral candidate at MIT and research affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, filed the FOIA lawsuit against the FBI demanding documents connected to a pair of incendiary comments Trump made on the campaign trail over the summer. In July, he called upon Russia to track down “30,000 emails [from Hillary Clinton’s private email server] that are missing.” And at an August campaign rally in North Carolina, he made a statement that was widely interpreted as calling for the assassination of Clinton.

We sought this information from the FBI after receiving a tip that the bureau, in addition to the Secret Service, was probing the incidents. We asked the FBI to grant us expedited processing because there was an urgent need to inform the public before they went to the polls on November 8.

But the FBI refused to respond to our request before the election, instead dating it Nov. 18; we received it in the mail Nov. 28.

“The nature of your request implicates investigative records the FBI may or may not compile pursuant to its broad criminal and national security investigative missions and functions,” said the bureau’s response, which is embedded at the end of this story. “Accordingly, the FBI cannot confirm or deny the existence of any such records about your subject as the mere acknowledgment of such records existence or nonexistence would in and of itself trigger foreseeable harm to agency interests.”

This is what’s known as a Glomar response, a term that came into use after the CIA denied a reporter’s request in the 1970s for information about a CIA ship, the Glomar Explorer, designed to recover a sunken Russian submarine. The agency refused to either confirm or deny the ship’s existence.

The FBI’s response states that any records the FBI has must be withheld because disclosure would interfere with enforcement proceedings and disclose information vital for effective investigations. This response is highly suspicious.

‘If the FBI is going to break from precedent, it cannot do so for one presidential candidate and not the other.’
For one, it is extremely rare for the FBI to issue a Glomar. I’ve filed thousands of requests with the bureau and I cannot recall ever receiving a Glomar. Typically, when a FOIA requester seeks information from the FBI on anything the bureau might be investigating, the FBI has explicit authority to deny the request, citing a pending investigation. However, because using that exemption would itself confirm to a requester that there’s an ongoing probe, the FBI has the authority under the FOIA to essentially lie and say it doesn’t have any documents — even when it does.

But the bureau did neither of those things. Instead, it said it could not confirm or deny that it has any documents concerning an investigation into Trump and/or his comments about Clinton.

Had the FBI released this letter to us prior to the election, our subsequent story would have noted that Trump may be under investigation over his comments — and that no doubt would have attracted widespread media attention. The FBI may have been aware of this and chosen to delay disclosure until after Election Day.

The fact that Comey revealed to the heads of eight congressional committees that FBI investigators located emails potentially pertinent to its probe of Clinton before Election Day is a potential double standard not lost on Rep. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

“It is extremely difficult to understand the FBI’s position,” he told VICE News. “On one hand, they are refusing to provide any information whatsoever in response to these FOIA requests relating to Donald Trump, yet at the height of the presidential campaign, the FBI director personally disclosed details about the investigative steps the FBI was taking with respect to Secretary Clinton — even though there was no finding of criminal activity. I have said repeatedly that if the FBI is going to break from longstanding precedent, it cannot do so for only one presidential candidate and not the other. I believe this approach has done great harm to the public’s trust in the FBI.”

A spokesperson for Clinton did not respond to a request for comment.

It’s unlikely the FBI launched a full-blown investigation into Trump’s comments. Instead, an agent likely raised it as an issue and opened a file that probably contains a few sheets of paper. But that itself would be newsworthy.

Nate Jones, the director of the FOIA project at George Washington University’s National Security Archive, told VICE News the FBI’s response to our requests is troubling on a number of other fronts as well.

“It appears clear that the FBI is placing its interest on not performing a FOIA review of the documents — or even stating if they exist — above the very large public interest in this case,” he said. “It’s another important example as to why agencies should not be given the ability to issue blanket ‘non-denial’ denials in response to FOIA requests…. Hopefully, in this case a judge will compel the FBI to do just this.”

Jeffrey Light, the FOIA attorney handling our case, said VICE News will challenge the FBI’s response in court. But before we proceed, we need the Secret Service to respond to an identical FOIA request. The Secret Service had already stated publicly that it was looking into Trump’s comments about “Second Amendment people” and Clinton. But they’re now in an awkward position: It is their job to protect President-elect Trump.
https://news.vice.com/story/fbi-may-hav ... ton-emails
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby seemslikeadream » Thu Dec 01, 2016 11:43 am

Senators call for declassification of files on Russia's role in US election
Seven members of Senate intelligence committee hint that government may still hold secret information ‘concerning the Russian government’

Spencer Ackerman in New York

Wednesday 30 November 2016 17.27 EST

Seven Democratic and Democratic-aligned members of the Senate intelligence committee have hinted that significant information about Russian interference in the US presidential election remains secret and ought to be declassified.

The seven senators, including the incoming ranking member Mark Warner of Virginia, wrote to Barack Obama to request he declassify relevant intelligence on the election. They did not directly accuse the Russian government or President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, of wrongdoing in the letter.

“We believe there is additional information concerning the Russian government and the US election that should be declassified and released to the public. We are conveying specifics through classified channels,” wrote Warner and his colleagues Ron Wyden of Oregon, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Barbara Mikulski of Maryland and independent Angus King of Maine.


Jack Reed of Rhode Island, an honorary and non-voting member of the committee due to his seat as ranking member of the Senate armed services committee, also signed the letter, which was dated Tuesday and publicly released on Wednesday. No Republican joined the declassification call, nor did the outgoing ranking Democrat, Dianne Feinstein of California.

Neither the terse letter nor discussions with sources on Capitol Hill detailed the particular intelligence concerning the Russians, its strength or its impact on the outcome of the election. Thus far, no credible evidence of vote fraud or electoral malfeasance exists, despite an evidence-free claim from Trump himself.

A spokesman for Wyden, Keith Chu, said the senator believed the intelligence needed to be declassified “immediately”, as it was in the “national interest that the American public should see it”.

It is understood this is the first declassification request by seven senators in twelve years.

On 7 October, the US director of national intelligence and the secretary of homeland security took the rare step of directly accusing Russia’s “senior-most” officials of ordering the breach of the Democratic National Committee’s digital networks. Director James Clapper and Secretary Jeh Johnson accused the Russians of attempting to “interfere” in the US election, something the Obama administration had previously suggested but did not allege publicly.

The FBI has acknowledged investigating such interference, but has reportedly not established any link to Trump or his campaign. Two US officials have told the Guardian that the FBI was reluctant to sign off on Clapper and Johnson’s public allegation.

Yet Harry Reid, the outgoing Democratic Senate leader, asserted without evidence in October that the FBI director, James Comey, “possess[es] explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisers, and the Russian government”.

Unusually for any presidential nominee, and particularly for a Republican, Trump has exhibited a warmth toward the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, that has prompted a widespread expectation Trump will tilt US foreign policy toward Russia. Trump and Putin spoke soon after Trump’s electoral victory in a phone call heralded by the Kremlin.

There was no immediate comment from the White House or Clapper’s office as to whether Obama would order the declassification or whether the intelligence agencies even support such a move.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... l-election



the intelligence needed to be declassified “immediately”, as it was in the “national interest that the American public should see it”.

It is understood this is the first declassification request by seven senators in twelve years.


Image
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Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby seemslikeadream » Thu Dec 08, 2016 11:21 am

ANDY GREENBERG SECURITY DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12.07.16.
12.07.16
5:51 PM
THE ELECTION IS OVER. THE PROBE INTO RUSSIAN HACKS SHOULDN’T BE


FROM CLIMATE CHANGE denial to pizza-parlor pedophile conspiracy theories, 2016 has thoroughly shaken the groundwork of facts that Americans agree on. But there’s at least one story that the US can’t afford to let slide into the muck of conspiracy theories, fake news, and truthiness: whether the Russian government hacked America’s election.

On Wednesday, Congressmen Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) introduced a bill to create an independent commission to investigate Russian government involvement in the digital attacks that shook the presidential election this year. It’s an extensive list. Security experts have linked Russian actors to hacker breaches of the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Gmail accounts of Hillary Clinton aide John Podesta and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, the voter rolls of Arizona, Illinois, and Florida, and a deluge of fake news. The 12-member commission, to be chosen by both Republicans and Democrats, would present their findings and recommendations for preventing future attacks in 18 months.

“This commission will do a bipartisan, independent, and robust review of Russia’s efforts to influence our election and attack our nation’s democracy, and it will make specific recommendations for the future,” Cummings told reporters Wednesday afternoon. “We must preserve the integrity of our democracy and Americans’ trust in our electoral system.”

After a deeply divisive campaign, that call for an investigation from two Democrats might sound like a partisan witch hunt meant to highlight Russian president Vladimir Putin’s ties to President-elect Donald Trump. It follows a letter from Democratic members of the Senate’s intelligence committee that asks President Obama to declassify existing evidence relating to Russian hacking.

But the issue goes beyond partisan politics. Republican Senator Lindsay Graham on Wednesday told CNN he and fellow GOP luminary John McCain will also push for investigations into the hacking incidents. And cybersecurity experts are echoing those calls for a deeper, public investigation into the evidence of Russian hacking—both the majority who already believe that the Russian government carried out the attacks, and the small minority that don’t.

“This is the most serious type of digital sabotage we’ve ever seen of a political system, and we’re not seeing the appropriate conversation,” says Thomas Rid, a cybersecurity-focused professor in the department of War Studies at King’s College London and author of Rise of the Machines. “Having a public conversation about this problem—staring the problem of electoral sabotage in the face—means it’s harder to do it again.”

From Russia With…Very Little Doubt
For most of the cybersecurity and US intelligence community, the Russian government’s ties to this year’s electoral hacks are no longer up for debate. Security firms Crowdstrike, Mandiant and Fidelis all analyzed evidence of the DNC hack and agreed it was the work of two Russian intelligence agency hacking teams, using some of the same tools and techniques as earlier breaches by those groups. Despite the pseudonymous claims of a supposedly Romanian hacker taking solo credit, the files he or she leaked contained Russian-language formatting error messages. And in October, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence jointly issued a statement pinning the hacks on the Kremlin, writing that “only Russia’s senior-most officials could have authorized these activities.”

In fact, some in the cybersecurity community argue that the Russian government’s involvement is so clear that a commission would be a waste of time and money. Former NSA staffer Dave Aitel, the founder of security firm Immunity, points to NSA Director Michael Rogers’ recent statement that “there shouldn’t be any doubts in anybody’s mind” that the DNC and DCCC hacks were “a conscious effort by a nation state to attempt to achieve a specific effect.” A commission, he argues, can’t offer much more certainty than that. “If you don’t trust the director of the NSA, you have a much worse problem,” says Aitel. “I don’t know anyone serious in the intelligence community who’s confused about it.”

And yet, for some, doubts linger. That starts with Trump, who has publicly ignored the statements of intelligence agencies even after receiving classified intelligence briefings. He recently telling Time Magazine that the electoral hacking “could be Russia. And it could be China. And it could be some guy in his home in New Jersey.”

Trump’s not alone, though. Jeffrey Carr, a cybersecurity analyst and author of Inside Cyber Warfare, point out that DHS and ODNI attribution to Russia wasn’t backed up with public evidence He compares the agencies’ brief statements about Russia’s involvement to the more detailed claims intelligence agencies released when North Korea hacked Sony Entertainment in late 2014. Those North Korea accusations included a speech in which President Obama named Kim Jong-Un’s government as the source of the hack, and a press conference by FBI director James Comey in which he laid some of evidence of the country’s involvement. “In this case I don’t see anything like that,” Carr says.

The Importance of Clarity
That there’s any question at all as to whether Russia directly attempted to fear with our election, though, seems all the more reason to know for sure. Even a skeptic like Carr agrees. “I’m totally in favor of a commission that will take a hard look, examine the quality of the evidence and issue a finding,” Carr says. “If a foreign government is interfering with a critical process like our election, that should transcend the disputes between Republicans and Democrats.”

A more open investigation wouldn’t just help dispel doubts and disinformation, says Rid. It would also send a message to Russian hackers at a time when cybersecurity analysts warn they’ve been emboldened by Trump’s win, and that they perceive their successful hack of the DNC as evidence that the same tactics will work in upcoming elections in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Crowdstrike and the security firm Trend Micro have both reported that one of the two Russian hacker groups responsible for the DNC hack has continued to attempt intrusions on targets across the US and Europe this fall, including several that resulted in successful, still-unpublicized breaches. And security firm Volexity found that the second Russian group had launched a targeted phishing campaign against American universities, think tanks, the State Department and Radio Free Europe just hours after Trump’s election.

As those attacks continue, a commission of the sort Cummings and Swalwell have called for wouldn’t just put doubts around our most recent election to rest. It could be the first step in a meaningful response aimed at deterring those political hacks. “We have to find a way to counter this,” says Rid. “To show that politically, this is really not acceptable, that America is not going to accept this without a response.”
https://www.wired.com/2016/12/russian-e ... stigation/




Democrats Intensify Push for Probe of Russian Meddling in 2016 Campaign
House Dems call for a bipartisan commission to investigate.

DAVID CORN

DEC. 7, 2016 2:00 PM

Congressional Democrats are increasing the pressure for an official and public inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign. On Wednesday afternoon, Rep. Eric Swalwell, (D-Calif.), a Democrat on the House intelligence committee, and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the senior Democrat on the House government oversight committee, announced they were introducing legislation to create a bipartisan commission to investigate any attempt by the Russian government or persons in Russia to interfere with the recent US election. The commission they propose is modeled on the widely praised 9/11 Commission. It would consist of 12 members, equally divided between Democrats and Republicans. The members would be appointed by the House speaker, the Senate majority leader, and the two Democratic leaders of the House and Senate. This commission would be granted subpoena power, the ability to hold public hearings, and the task of producing a public report.

Cummings previously called on Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the chair of the House government oversight committee, to launch such an investigation via his committee. But Chaffetz, who before the election vowed to probe Hillary Clinton fiercely, has not replied to Cummings' request, according to a Cummings spokesperson. Nor has Chaffetz responded to another Cummings request for a committee examination of Donald Trump's potential conflicts of interest. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and incoming Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) have both endorsed Cummings' proposal for a congressional investigation of Russian attempts to influence the 2016 campaign. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.) also have suggested that Congress examine Russian interference in the election.

"We are deeply concerned by Russian efforts to undermine, interfere with, and even influence the outcome of our recent election."
The Democrats have not yet catapulted the issue of foreign interference fully into the media spotlight. But Swalwell and Cummings' bill comes as more Democrats are demanding action. Last week, seven Democrats on the Senate intelligence committee publicly pressed the Obama administration to declassify more information about Russia's intervention in the election. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who led that effort, wrote in a brief letter to the White House, "We believe there is additional information concerning the Russian Government and the US election that should be declassified and released to the public. We are conveying specifics through classified channels."

On Tuesday, seven high-ranking House Democrats sent a letter to President Barack Obama requesting a classified briefing on Russian involvement in the election, including "Russian entities' hacking of American political organizations; hacking and strategic release of emails from campaign officials; the WikiLeaks disclosures; fake news stories produced and distributed with the intent to mislead American voters; and any other Russian or Russian-related interference or involvement in our recent election." The signatories were Cummings, Rep. Steny Hoyer, the Democratic whip, Rep. John Conyers, the top Democrat on the judiciary committee, Rep. Eliot Engel, the top Democrat on the foreign affairs committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the homeland security committee, Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the armed services committee, and Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the intelligence committee. They wrote:

We are deeply concerned by Russian efforts to undermine, interfere with, and even influence the outcome of our recent election. This Russian malfeasance is not confined to us, but extends to our allies, our alliances and to democratic institutions around the world.

The integrity of democracy must never be in question, and we are gravely concerned that Russia may have succeeded in weakening Americans' trust in our electoral institutions through their cyber activity, which may also include sponsoring disclosures through WikiLeaks and other venues, and the production and distribution of fake news stories.

In September, Schiff joined Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, to release a statement blaming Russia for the hacks of Democratic targets during the campaign:

Based on briefings we have received, we have concluded that the Russian intelligence agencies are making a serious and concerted effort to influence the US election. At the least, this effort is intended to sow doubt about the security of our election and may well be intended to influence the outcomes of the election—we can see no other rationale for the behavior of the Russians. We believe that orders for the Russian intelligence agencies to conduct such actions could come only from very senior levels of the Russian government.

The Obama administration has reached the same conclusion. In October, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security released a joint statement declaring, "The US Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations." A week after the election, the director of the National Security Agency, Admiral Michael Rogers, was asked about the WikiLeaks release of hacked information during the campaign, and he said, "This was a conscious effort by a nation-state to attempt to achieve a specific effect." He added, "This was not something that was done casually. This was not something that was done by chance. This was not a target that was selected purely arbitrarily."

"This was a conscious effort by a nation-state to attempt to achieve a specific effect."
For some reason, Moscow's effort to influence the presidential election has not been as big a story as, say, Trump's tweets about the musical Hamilton or Alec Baldwin. That may be because Democrats, busy licking their wounds, have not aggressively sought to keep the issue front and center. (Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have not said much on this subject.) And most Republicans have shown little interest in investigating an assault on American democracy that helped their party win the White House and retain majorities in both houses of Congress. But Cummings has been trying mightily to kick-start a public investigation. (Presumably, the FBI, CIA, and NSA have been looking into Russian hacking related to the election, but their investigations are not designed to yield public information—unless they result in a criminal prosecution.)

With the legislation to establish an independent commission, Cummings and Swalwell are opening another front. In the coming days, they will be signing up co-sponsors and looking for Republican support. Their bill provides a proposal that concerned voters—including upset Democrats and activists—can rally behind. (Were this measure to pass next year, Trump, who has steadfastly refused to blame Moscow for the hacks of the Democratic Party and the Clinton campaign, would have to decide whether to sign it.)

In his recent letter to Chaffetz, Cummings noted, "Elections are the bedrock of our nation's democracy. Any attempt by a foreign power to undermine them is a direct attack on our core democratic values, and it should chill every Member of Congress and American—red or blue—to the core." So far, few Republicans, including Trump, have acknowledged feeling that chill, and there's certainly more opportunity for the Democrats to turn up the heat.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/201 ... -wikileaks
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby Belligerent Savant » Thu Dec 08, 2016 11:40 am

.

Ah yes,  the Russians. Meddling. "THEY". Outsiders.

.. and what of all the in-house meddling into election results? How shall that be handled? It won't --- in-house meddling shall continue unchecked, other than the occasional 'recount' pantomimes.
Vote meddling is part of the American Way, after all.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby seemslikeadream » Thu Dec 08, 2016 11:43 am

got time for some people's fake news...got time for other people's fake news?

let's go for it ..what do you say?

here some fake news ...there some fake news... all over fake news...is there no room for more fake news investigation here?

if I change the name of the OP ...Investigate Russian Pizzagate?

oh maybe this is just not sleazy enough for some people :roll:

what's fake who can say?

maybe I should just tweet about it

then I'll be taken seriously :P

maybe that 500 billion dollar Russian/EXXON deal that got sacked under Obama sanctions made someone mad :mad2

hack the vote mad :mad2

now we got to have the head of EXXON to be Sec of State...

Mr. Tillerson the son of a local Boy Scouts administrator.....must be a pedophile ...right?

shoulda used that as a headline then we coulda had some fun

Russian sanctions have cost Exxon over $1 billion - Business Insider

Exxon, Rosneft unveil $500 billion offshore venture | Reuters

$500 billion opportunity for Exxon, Russia in Trump cabinet pick

Exxon Wins Prized Access to Arctic With Russia Deal - The New York ...

who cares about climate change?

Climate Activists Fight Back Against Exxon's Subpoenas
The oil giant, seemingly emboldened by a federal judge's ruling it can poke into a state AG's investigation, wants 350.org's records, too. The group is refusing.
David Hasemyer

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/0712 ... th-science


oh here's a great headline ...conspiracy...that will get me somewhere :roll:

Exxon Mobil Accuses the Rockefellers of a Climate Conspiracy
Exxon Mobil, under fire over its past efforts to undercut climate science, is accusing the Rockefeller family of masterminding a conspiracy against it. Yes, that Rockefeller family.

The company, which has been accused of scheming to pay surrogates to deny the threat of climate change, is trying to turn the tables by calling its opponents the real conspirators. It is fighting state attorneys general, journalists and environmental groups in an all-out campaign to defend its image.

But the oil and gas giant has directed some of its fiercest fire at the descendants of John D. Rockefeller, who in 1870 founded Standard Oil, the company that became Exxon Mobil. Rockefeller family charities, longtime backers of environmental causes, have supported much of the research and reporting that has called the company to account for its climate policies, and Exxon Mobil is crying foul.

The pressure on the company is intense. Journalists have published exposés of the company’s research into climate change, including actions it took to incorporate climate projections into its exploration plans while playing down the threat. Such reporting projects, financed in part by Rockefeller family charities, included last year’s work by Inside Climate News and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, which published its results with The Los Angeles Times. The findings have been boiled down to the popular Twitter shorthand #ExxonKnew.

Exxon Mobil, in public statements, court filings and thick dossiers on the company’s opponents, says it is the target of a well-funded and politically motivated conspiracy to harm its core business.

Exxon Mobil Investigated for Possible Climate Change Lies by New York Attorney General NOV. 5, 2015

Exxon Mobil Climate Change Inquiry in New York Gains Allies MARCH 29, 2016

Exxon Mobil Fights Back at State Inquiries Into Climate Change Research JUNE 16, 2016

Public Campaign Against Exxon Has Roots in a 2012 Meeting MAY 23, 2016

Yet where Exxon Mobil and its allies see a tangled conspiracy, members of the Rockefeller family see an effort to use the vast wealth generated by fossil fuels to combat the damage done by fossil fuels.

A Range of Opinions on Climate Change at Exxon Mobil
Statements made by Exxon Mobil – including executives and its own scientists – about climate change over the years.


Now the family has taken the unusual step of going public to state its case in a rare interview and in a two-part essay in The New York Review of Books that lays out in detail Exxon Mobil’s research and funding of climate denial. David Kaiser, an author of the essay and a fifth-generation Rockefeller, said dryly, “The family generally doesn’t do public things in this way.”

He said he was aware that the “obvious historical irony of the fact that we are Rockefellers doing this would attract additional attention to the story — and we want attention to the story, because we think it will make clear to the public that the so-called debate over climate science has been a fake one, artificially manufactured, and a basically dishonest one from the beginning.”

State attorneys general, beginning last year with Eric T. Schneiderman of New York, began conducting fraud investigations that focus on whether the company’s decades-long research into climate change, and the likelihood that energy companies will not be able to exploit all of their fossil fuel reserves, makes recent valuation of those reserves questionable. The federal Securities and Exchange Commission has launched its own investigation of the company’s accounting of reserves.

Exxon Mobil says it has recognized the threat of climate change and the need to fight it for more than a decade; the company says it stopped funding the organizations that promote climate denial in the mid-2000s. It has also argued that its early research has been mischaracterized.

The company is attacking the role of the Rockefeller family in encouraging, and in some cases bankrolling, the investigations and campaigns against it. Both journalism organizations that investigated the company were financed, at least in part, by Rockefeller philanthropies, though the organizations say that their donors have no control over what they write.

The Rockefeller funds have also provided support to groups like Greenpeace and 350.org that have investigated and criticized the company.

A conference in January to discuss activism and education efforts surrounding Exxon Mobil’s climate work was held at the offices shared by two Rockefeller family funds. One potential subject of discussion suggested by a participant was “to establish in public’s mind that Exxon is a corrupt institution that has pushed humanity (and all creation) toward climate chaos and grave harm.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/21/scien ... hange.html


ImageImage

Rex Tillerson, a Candidate for Secretary of State, Has Ties to Vladimir Putin
Exxon Mobil CEO could redefine U.S. interests abroad

By BRADLEY OLSON
Updated Dec. 6, 2016 11:02 a.m. ET

Exxon Mobil Corp. Chief Executive Rex Tillerson, who was meeting with Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss becoming his secretary of state, is a seasoned deal-maker whose close ties to Vladimir Putin and other world leaders could redefine American interests abroad.

His emergence as a candidate to be the nation’s top diplomat despite having no government experience surprised senior Exxon officials—including Mr. Tillerson, according to people familiar with the matter.

Friends of the 64-year-old Texas oilman, whom they describe as a staunch conservative, said they expect he would consider the job due to his sense of patriotic duty and because he is set to retire from the company next year. The meeting was taking place Tuesday morning at Trump Tower in New York, according to a transition official.

His appointment would introduce the potential for sticky conflicts of interest because of his financial stake in Exxon, which explores for oil and gas on six of the world’s seven continents and has operations in more than 50 countries. He owns Exxon shares worth $151 million, according a recent securities filing.


Alan Jeffers, an Exxon spokesman, said Mr. Tillerson wouldn’t comment on his candidacy.

President-elect Donald Trump has expanded the circle of candidates that could be named secretary of state including ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson. WSJ's Lee Hawkins explains. Photo: AP
It is unclear how Mr. Tillerson, a strong supporter of free trade, would fit ideologically with Mr. Trump, who has spoken out repeatedly against trade deals. Little is known of the foreign-policy views held by Mr. Tillerson, who as secretary of state would be expected to handle any changes to the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, sanctions on Russia and disputes with China, the subject of repeated barbs from Mr. Trump on the campaign trail.

People familiar with the transition also place Mr. Tillerson, a late entry in the president-elect’s wide-ranging search for a secretary of state, behind the three top contenders— Mitt Romney,Rudy Giuliani and David Petraeus .

Friends and associates said few U.S. citizens are closer to Mr. Putin than Mr. Tillerson, who has known Mr. Putin since he represented Exxon’s interests in Russia during the regime of Boris Yeltsin.
“He has had more interactive time with Vladimir Putin than probably any other American with the exception of Henry Kissinger,” said John Hamre, a former deputy defense secretary during the Clinton administration and president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank where Mr. Tillerson is a board member.

In 2011, Mr. Tillerson struck a deal giving Exxon access to prized Arctic resources in Russia as well as allowing Russia’s state oil company, OAO Rosneft, to invest in Exxon concessions all over the world. The following year, the Kremlin bestowed the country’s Order of Friendship decoration on Mr. Tillerson.

The deal would have been transformative for Exxon. Mr. Putin at the time called it one of the most important involving Russia and the U.S., forecasting that the partnership could eventually spend $500 billion. But it was subsequently blocked by sanctions on Russia that the U.S. and its allies imposed two years ago after the country’s invasion of Crimea and conflicts with Ukraine.

Mr. Tillerson spoke against the sanctions at the company’s annual meeting in 2014. “We always encourage the people who are making those decisions to consider the very broad collateral damage of who are they really harming with sanctions,” he said.

One of the first issues Mr. Tillerson would have to resolve as secretary of state would be his holdings of Exxon shares, many of which aren’t scheduled to vest for almost a decade. The value of those shares could go up if the sanctions on Russia were lifted.

The shares would likely have to be sold under State Department ethics rules, Chase Untermeyer, a former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, said in an interview.

“He could not erase his strong relationship with a particular country,” Mr. Untermeyer said. “The best protection from a conflict of interest is transparency.”

Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson with Vladimir Putin, then Russia’s prime minister, at a signing ceremony in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in August 2011. A deal between Exxon and Russia's state oil company Rosneft was later blocked by global sanctions on Russia over Moscow’s invasion of Crimea. ENLARGE
Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson with Vladimir Putin, then Russia’s prime minister, at a signing ceremony in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in August 2011. A deal between Exxon and Russia's state oil company Rosneft was later blocked by global sanctions on Russia over Moscow’s invasion of Crimea. PHOTO: RIA NOVOSTI/REUTERS
​Mr. Trump has also faced repeated questions about how he will untangle himself from his real-estate empire to avoid potential conflicts as president. He has yet to clarify what steps he would take, saying on Twitter shortly after he was elected that he can’t have a conflict of interest as president. On Nov. 30, he tweeted he would soon “leave his great business in total,” promising to disclose details at a Dec. 15 press conference.

Mr. Tillerson has over the years shown ideological flexibility on certain topics when he deems it strategically important to the companies or institutions he has led.

He helped shift Exxon’s response to climate change when he took over as CEO in 2006. He embraced a carbon tax as the best potential policy solution and has said climate change is a global problem that warrants action. That was a break from his predecessor, Lee Raymond.
Still, Mr. Tillerson is a polarizing figure among Democrats and environmental activists. They have accused Exxon of sowing doubt about the impacts of climate change during Mr. Raymond’s tenure and say Mr. Tillerson hasn’t done enough to disclose the future impact of climate-change regulations on the company’s ability to get oil out of the ground.

“This is certainly a good way to make clear exactly who’ll be running the government in a Trump administration—just cut out the middleman and hand it directly to the fossil-fuel industry,” said Bill McKibben, the environmental activist and founder of 350.org.

Exxon has disputed the criticism and accused activists and Democratic attorneys general of conspiring against the company.

The son of a local Boy Scouts administrator, Mr. Tillerson was born in Wichita Falls, Texas. He attended the University of Texas, where he studied civil engineering, was a drummer in the Longhorn band and participated in a community service-oriented fraternity.

He joined Exxon in 1975 and has spent his entire career at the company.

For most of his adult life, he has also been closely involved with the Boy Scouts of America, even occasionally incorporating the Scout Law and Scout Oath into his speeches.

Mr. Tillerson played an instrumental role in leading the organization to change its policy to allow gay youth to participate in 2013, Mr. Hamre said. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates subsequently moved to lift the organization’s ban on gay adult leaders as Boy Scouts president in 2015.

“Most of the reason that organizations fail at change is pretty simple: People don’t understand why,” Mr. Tillerson said in a speech after the 2013 decision, urging leaders to communicate about the policy to help make it successful. “We’re going to serve kids and make the leaders of tomorrow.”
http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trum ... 1481033938


RUSSIA PLEDGES RETALIATION IF U.S. BILL PASSES
BY REUTERS ON 12/7/16 AT 1:08 PM

Critics Question Donald Trump's Call For Canceling A Boeing Contract For New Air Force One Planes
WORLDRUSSIA
Russia said on Wednesday it would restrict the ability of U.S. diplomats based in Moscow to travel if a pending U.S. bill that would do the same to Russian diplomats in the United States entered into force.

The intelligence bill, an annual measure that provides broad congressional authorization for a wide range of U.S. intelligence activities and agencies, has already been approved by both intelligence committees and the House of Representatives, but not yet by the Senate.

U.S. officials accused Russia of hacking U.S. political institutions, in particular the Democratic Party, during the 2016 presidential election race, and Western intelligence officials say there has been an increase in covert Russian efforts to influence foreign public opinion in recent years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, December 6. He has said he hopes that President-elect Donald Trump can oversee an improvement in battered U.S.-Russia ties, something the wealthy American tycoon has said he is keen to bring about.
SERGEI KARPUKHIN/REUTERS
The Kremlin denies involvement in the U.S. hacking scandal.

The new U.S. bill would create a special committee to combat clandestine Russian efforts to manipulate foreign opinion and tighten the rules on Russian diplomats in the United States who want to travel more than 25 miles from their official posts.

They would have to give advance notice of such trips and permission would not be granted unless the FBI told Congress in writing that the diplomats had abided by the travel rules in the previous quarter.

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Moscow the proposed rules would draw swift Russian retaliation if implemented.

The U.S. authorities "should keep in mind that diplomacy is based on the principle of reciprocity. Put simply, American diplomats in Russia will be treated in the same way," said Zakharova.

She said the bill looked like an attempt to confine Russian diplomats to their embassy and make their work harder, and called the proposal for a special committee part of a "witch hunt" by the outgoing Obama administration against Russia.

"We are dealing with another example of clinical anti-Russian feeling," she said. "It's a carbon copy of a scheme used in the Cold War."

President Vladimir Putin has said he hopes that President-elect Donald Trump can oversee an improvement in battered U.S.-Russia ties, something the wealthy American tycoon has said he is keen to bring about.
http://www.newsweek.com/russia-retaliat ... ill-529398


German Intel Agency: Russia Is Trying to Destabilize Germany
By FRANK JORDANS, ASSOCIATED PRESS BERLIN — Dec 8, 2016, 7:50 AM ET

Russia is trying to destabilize German society with propaganda and cyberattacks ahead of the country's general election, Germany's domestic intelligence agency said Thursday.

The warning was the bluntest public claim yet from Germany's BfV agency about Moscow's alleged campaign of disinformation and hacking targeting Europe's biggest economy.

"There is growing evidence of attempts to influence the federal election next year," said the BfV's head, Hans-Georg Maassen, citing "increasingly aggressive cyberespionage" against political entities in Germany.

Russia has been blamed for the hacking and release of Democratic National Committee emails before the U.S. presidential election. But Moscow has strongly denied involvement in orchestrating cyberattacks on foreign soil and hit back with allegations of its own against the West.

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said last month: "Believe me, we're expecting cyberattacks during election campaigns, every election campaign in Russia. These cyberattacks also happen, and believe me, there are also people behind those tens of thousands of cyberattacks who work from Germany just like other European countries."

Maassen, the BfV chief, expressed particular concern that voters' increasing use of social media could make them more vulnerable to disinformation.

"We are worried that echo chambers are being created there," he said, adding that "automated opinion-forming" with bots could be used to spread fake news.

Media outlets controlled by the Russian government and pro-Russian blogs in Germany regularly report on crimes committed by migrants in Germany, linking the incidents to Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to allow hundreds of thousands of refugees into the country last year.

German politicians have been the targets of recent hacking attacks, which Maassen said could have been attempts to gather information that could be used to discredit them.

"We expect a further increase in cyberattacks in the run-up to the elections," he said.

Germany has not yet set a date for its national election in 2017, but it's expected in September.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireSt ... y-44054910



Will Russian disinformation influence German elections?
The head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency has issued a warning ahead of next years' German elections. He's afraid Russian propaganda could influence voting behavior.
Symbolbild Cyberattacke Bundestag (picture-alliance/dpa/W. Kumm)
Propaganda, disinformation, cyberattacks, cyberespionage and cyberterrorism - these are some of the potential threats to Western democracy that the internet makes easier, according to the president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Hans-Georg Maassen.
"The altered relationship to information by users of online social media networks is an ideal gateway for targeted disinformation," Maassen, who leads Germany's domestic intelligence agency, said in a discussion with journalists in Berlin.
Horror scenarios for domestic security authorities include possible attacks on important infrastructure, such as power stations or hospitals while attacks like the recent one on Deutsche Telekom are seen as comparatively harmless.
Although customers were irritated by disrupted telephone and internet service, the attack did not have serious consequences. Experts largely agreed that Russian cyberterrorists were probably behind the attack as well as large-scale cyberattacks on the German parliament in 2015. While there is no absolute proof for the accusations, those in internal security believe there are sufficient indicators to draw such conclusions.

Cyberespionage can range from attacks on infrastructure to fake news reports
German politicians brought into disrepute
In light of cyberthreats, Maassen has expressed his growing concern about the security of Germany's parliamentary elections in 2017.
"Increasingly aggressive cyberespionage" has been occurring in the political sphere, he said. Information gathered in such attacks could later be used during the election campaign "to discredit politicians." Maassen said administration officials, members of parliament and political party employees are all at risk of becoming targets.
"The indicators that there will be attempts to influence the federal elections next year are intensifying," Maassen said.
He said he is also concerned that targeted disinformation may lead to the creation of so-called "echo chambers" where propaganda could influence people's political views by blocking out differing opinions.

The speed with which information can be spread was shown early this year when the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl from a Russian-German family in Berlin led to nationwide protests, including demonstrations in front of the Chancellery. The uproar was triggered by lurid reports in the Russian state media and one-sided internet sites. A short time later it emerged that the young person in question had temporarily gone missing but that the alleged rape and the rest of story had been invented.
"ATP 28" thought to be spreading fake news reports
There have also been several attacks in recent months on traditional political targets. In August, the German parliament faced another attack. In May, it was Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union. Both attacks failed and authorities believe a Russian network was behind the attempted intrusions. Experts have labeled the network "APT 28," an abbreviation for Advanced Persistent Threat.
The same group is believed to have been behind the successful attacks on the German parliament last year. Authorities described their main method of attack as spreading disinformation. The campaigns are carried out by supposed hackers and are often difficult for regular internet users to distinguish from actual news reports.
http://www.dw.com/en/will-russian-disin ... a-36693083


yea I edited a lot a whole fuckin lot ...sue me!
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby seemslikeadream » Thu Dec 08, 2016 9:22 pm

Republicans ready to launch wide-ranging probe of Russia, despite Trump’s stance
By Karoun Demirjian December 8 at 6:55 PM

Congress is doubling down on promises to investigate Russia, after President-elect Donald Trump dismisses evidence that Russia was involved. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Leading Senate Republicans are preparing to launch a coordinated and wide-ranging probe into Russia’s alleged meddling in the U.S. elections and its potential cyber threats to the military, digging deep into what they view as corrosive interference in the nation’s institutions.

Such an aggressive approach puts them on a direct collision course with President-elect Donald Trump, who downplays the possibility Russia had any role in the November elections — arguing that a hack of the Democratic National Committee emails may have been perpetrated by “some guy in his home in New Jersey.” The fracture could become more prominent after Trump is inaugurated and begins setting foreign policy. He has already indicated the country should “get along” with Russia since the two nations have many common strategic goals.

But some of Trump’s would-be Republican allies on Capitol Hill disagree. Senate Armed Services Chair John McCain (Ariz.) is readying a probe of possible Russian cyber incursions into U.S. weapons systems, and said he has been discussing the issue with Select Intelligence Committee Chair Richard Burr (N.C.) with whom he will be “working closely” to investigate Russia’s suspected interference in the U.S. elections, cyber threats to the military and other institutions. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been apprised of the discussions. Burr did not respond to requests for comment.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) also said he intends to hold hearings next year into alleged Russian hacking. Corker is on Trump’s shortlist for secretary of state, according to the Trump transition team.

Trump transition officials could not be reached for comment.

The loudest GOP calls for a Russia probe are coming from McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.). Both have taken a hardline on Russia and have been highly critical of Trump, particularly his praise of President Vladimir Putin.

“They’ll keep doing more here until they pay a price,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said of Russia. He plans to spearhead legislation and hold a series of investigative hearings next year into “Russia’s misadventures throughout the world,” including Russian meddling in the U.S. elections.

[Republican lawmakers move to restrain Trump on Russia]

“I’m going after Russia in every way you can go after Russia. I think they’re one of the most destabilizing influences on the world stage. I think they did interfere with our elections and I want Putin personally to pay the price,” Graham said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.

McCain said his Armed Services Committee will launch a probe in the 115th Congress into Russia’s cyber capabilities against the U.S. military and weapons systems, “because the real threat is cyber,” he explained.

But McCain said he expects the investigation will also dovetail with the topic of Russia’s suspected hacking of the DNC and state-based election systems — which include a hack that took place in McCain’s home state of Arizona.

“See, the problem with hacking is that if they’re able to disrupt elections, then it’s a national security issue, obviously,” McCain said Thursday.

He added that the Armed Services Committee was “still formulating” exactly how to address the issue during hearings. But despite Trump’s dismissal, “there’s very little doubt” Russia interfered in the U.S. elections, which he called “very worthy of examination.”

The U.S. government in October officially accused Russia of hacking the DNC’s emails during the presidential campaign. The emails were posted on web sites like WikiLeaks, and caused embarrassment for the party, including forcing the resignation of ex-DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.).

And U.S. military officials officials are concerned about Russia’s capacity to steal military secrets and corrupt operations: Officials already suspect Russian hackers are behind a major email breach at the Pentagon last year. And the military could be a target for backlash, after an NBC news report widely circulated by Russian media stated U.S. military hackers were ready to launch attacks against Russia in the event of an obvious election hack.

Trump continued to downplay Russian involvement in the elections in an interview released this week for TIME magazine’s “Person of the Year” feature. In the interview, the president-elect disputed the Obama administration’s accusation that Russia interfered in the election.

[U.S. government officially accuses Russia of interfering with elections]

“I don’t believe they interfered,” Trump said of Russia. “It could be Russia. And it could be China. And it could be some guy in his home in New Jersey. I believe that it could have been Russia and it could have been any one of many other people. Sources or even individuals.”

Some Republicans delicately demurred, while still defending Trump’s ability to negotiate with Putin.

“The Democratic National Committee…the intelligence community is of pretty much one mind that Russia was involved in that, was behind that,” said Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), a member of the House’s Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and House Homeland Security Committee’s Intelligence and Counter-terrorism subcommittee chair.

King added that he was “confident” Trump “will not be taken in by Putin.”

Democrats have also taken issue with Trump’s desire to pursue more friendly relations with Moscow, as well as his affinity for Putin.

“The primary area of discomfort for the Republicans here and the Trump administration, in foreign policy and national security, is over Russia,” said Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), the House Intelligence Committee’s ranking Democrat, who accused Trump of becoming “a propaganda piece for the Kremlin” on MSNBC this week. “They may be giving him breathing space right now, but I don’t expect that to last.”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLcOoiKo3OI

Since the election, Republican lawmakers have voted to reestablish an American hard line against Russia’s global ventures, with a House-passed measure to sanction anyone who supports the Syrian government in its ongoing civil war – a category that primarily includes Russia and Iran. There is also language in the annual defense policy bill to provide millions of dollars in lethal aid to Ukraine, where the government in Kiev is engaged in open hostilities against Russian-backed separatists.

But many Democrats are impatient with Republicans for not taking faster and more concrete steps against Russia after the Obama administration officially accused Moscow of meddling in the elections.

Corker expressed early interest in holding hearings on Russia. But months later, those hearings have not been held. “We’re getting no pressure from anyone – we just feel like it’s something we should do,” Corker said in an interview Wednesday, when asked if there president-elect had pressured him not to raise the topic. “As a matter of fact, we attempted to set a classified briefing up this week.”

Obama administration officials maintain that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other officials were ready to brief senators about Russia’s role in the DNC hack on Thursday. Administration officials said that at the last minute, the committee dramatically broadened the scope of the hearing, forcing them to cancel.

A spokeswoman for Corker said the hearing was postponed because State Department officials were unavailable due to previous travel commitments. She added that Corker and committee ranking member Ben Cardin (D-Md.) received a classified briefing on cyber threats prior to the election.

Corker pledged that hearings investigating Russia’s role in the elections would be forthcoming next year. “We’re definitely going to look at it,” he said.

An aggressive probe of Russia’s activities may not extend to the House, where leading Republicans say they have already been investigating Russia and will continue their efforts regardless of Trump’s stance.

“[Russia]’s always been a priority for me and it will remain a priority for me,” House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said.

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The House Armed Services Committee Mac Thornberry stressed that his committee has been looking at Russian cyber threats to the military for the last two years.

“We’re going to have to all pay more attention to cyber and to Russian activities to influence things through cyber,” Thornberry said.

Democrats, meanwhile, are going to use whatever power they have to ensure that Russian activities in the elections and beyond get attention.

Seven top-ranked Democrats sent a letter to Obama on Tuesday asking for classified briefings “regarding Russian entities’ hacking of American political organizations,” including the DNC hack, emails released by WikiLeaks, and fake news.

“Regardless of whether you voted for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, or anyone else, Russia’s attacks on our election are an attempt to degrade our democracy and should chill every American – Democratic, Republican, or Independent – to the core,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Relations panel.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pow ... 9943ce517a
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby Pele'sDaughter » Fri Dec 09, 2016 9:44 am

http://www.itworld.com/article/3148709/ ... picks=true

Georgia's secretary of state says the state was hit with an attempted hack of its voter registration database from an IP address linked to the federal Department of Homeland Security.

The allegation by Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp is one of the more bizarre charges to come up in the recent spate of alarms about voting-system hacks. He said in a Facebook post on Thursday that he had been made aware of the failed attempt to breach the firewall protecting Georgia's voter registration database. The attack was traced to an Internet Protocol address associated with DHS, he said.

“This morning I sent a letter to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson demanding to know why,” he said in the post.

The DHS said it had received the letter. “We are looking into the matter. DHS takes the trust of our public and private sector partners seriously, and we will respond to Secretary Kemp directly,” the department said in a statement.

The hacking attempt reportedly took place on Nov. 15, after the presidential election, according to the Wall Street Journal, which saw a copy of the letter.

“At no time has my office agreed to or permitted DHS to conduct penetration testing or security scans of our network,” Kemp wrote in his letter. “Moreover, your department has not contacted my office since this unsuccessful incident to alert us of any security event that would require testing or scanning of our network.”

Kemp is also asking if the department has scanned any other states in the same way.

The hacking of local election systems in the U.S. was a major concern during this year’s presidential campaign. U.S. government agencies, including the DHS, had found evidence that hackers were probing state voter registration systems in the months preceding Election Day.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby seemslikeadream » Fri Dec 09, 2016 1:23 pm

Thanks for that ^^^^^


Obama orders review of Russian hacking during presidential campaign


By Ellen Nakashima and Philip Rucker December 9 at 11:53 AM
President Obama has ordered a “full review” of Russian hacking during the November election, as pressure from Congress has grown for greater public understanding of exactly what Moscow did to interfere in the electoral process.

“We may have crossed into a new threshold, and it is incumbent upon us to take stock of that, to review, to conduct some after-action, to understand what has happened and to impart some lessons learned,” Obama’s counterterrorism and homeland-security adviser, Lisa Monaco, told reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

Obama wants the report before he leaves office on Jan. 20, Monaco said.

On Oct. 7, the intelligence community officially accused Moscow of seeking to interfere in the election through the hacking of “political organizations.” Though the statement never specified which party, it was clear officials were referring to cyber-intrusions into the computers of the Democratic National Committee and other Democratic Party groups. Hacked emails that were damaging to the party and its presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, soon after appeared on websites such as WikiLeaks.

The intelligence-community statement said such leaks were “consistent” with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts. “We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia’s senior-most officials could have authorized these activities,” the statement said.

Seven Democratic senators last week asked Obama to declassify more details about the intrusions and why officials believe the Kremlin was behind the operation. And this week, top Democratic lawmakers in the House sent a letter to Obama urging briefings on Russian interference in the election.

Leading Senate Republicans say they are preparing to launch a wide-ranging probe into Russia’s meddling in the election and into potential cyberthreats to the military.

[GOP senators want to investigate Russian hacking and election interference]

U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies had already been probing what they see as a broad covert Russian operation to sow distrust in the presidential election process. It was their briefings of senior lawmakers that led a number of them to press for more information to be made public.

[U.S. investigating potential covert Russian plan to disrupt elections]

Monaco said Obama has directed the intelligence community to capture “lessons learned and report to a range of stakeholders,” including lawmakers. She did not commit to making the report public.

She noted the increase in malicious cyber-activity in recent years. Russia has overtaken China as the country of primary concern in the cyberthreat space, intelligence officials have said.

Did Russia interfere with the 2016 election? This GOP senator thinks so Play Video1:56
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says he wants to investigate whether Russia interfered with the 2016 U.S. election, amongst claims that Donald Trump's rhetoric on Russia and Vladimir Putin is too soft. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)
Though Russia has long conducted cyberspying on U.S. agencies, companies and organizations, this presidential campaign marks the first time Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election, the officials said.

The review comes as President-elect Donald Trump has again dismissed the intelligence community’s findings about Russian hacking and meddling. “I don’t believe they interfered” in the election, he told Time magazine this week. The hacking, he said, “could be Russia. It could be China. And it could be some guy in New Jersey.”

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Friday, “Given President-elect Trump’s disturbing refusal to listen to our intelligence community and accept that the hacking was orchestrated by the Kremlin, there is an added urgency to the need for a thorough review before President Obama leaves office next month.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... d376072049



Trump Calls The CIA Liars After His Secret Russian Relationship Gets Exposed
By Jason Easley on Fri, Dec 9th, 2016 at 10:09 pm
Donald Trump's transition team released a statement in response to the CIA report that Russia interfered in the presidential election to help the GOP nominee where they strongly suggested that the CIA is lying.


The Trump team responded to the report in The Washington Post, “These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It’s now time to move on and “Make America Great Again.”

Trump was suggested that the CIA was lying in 2016, because in the run-up to the Iraq war, the Bush administration, specifically Vice President Dick Cheney pressured the intelligence community to come up with false intel to support invading Iraq.

The second falsehood told by the Trump transition was about the size of his Electoral College victory. Trump’s victory was the third smallest Electoral College win since 1980. Only George W. Bush’s were smaller.

The president-elect has been skipping his intelligence briefings, and now appears to be in a state of open war with the CIA. The problem for Trump is that it isn’t only the CIA who made this claim. Seventeen intelligence agencies believe that Russia interfered in the presidential election.

Seventeen intelligence agencies aren’t all lying. Trump had obvious connections to Russia throughout the presidential campaign. Someone is definitely not telling the truth, and the evidence points to the Donald Trump as the man behind the cover-up of the Russian assist that he got in the presidential election.

Russia interference in presidential election, Russia meddling in US election, Trump claims CIA is lying, Trump says CIA lying about Russia meddling
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/12/09/ ... posed.html
Last edited by seemslikeadream on Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: NSA Chief Russia Hacked '16 Election Congress Must Inves

Postby seemslikeadream » Fri Dec 09, 2016 10:02 pm

Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House
Obama orders review of cyber attacks on presidential election

President Obama ordered intelligence agencies to review cyber attacks and foreign intervention into the 2016 election and deliver a report before he leaves office on Jan. 20, the White House said. (Reuters)
By Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller December 9 at 7:36 PM
The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency, rather than just to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system, according to officials briefed on the matter.

Intelligence agencies have identified individuals with connections to the Russian government who provided WikiLeaks with thousands of hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and others, including Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, according to U.S. officials. Those officials described the individuals as actors known to the intelligence community and part of a wider Russian operation to boost Trump and hurt Clinton’s chances.

“It is the assessment of the intelligence community that Russia’s goal here was to favor one candidate over the other, to help Trump get elected,” said a senior U.S. official briefed on an intelligence presentation made to U.S. senators. “That’s the consensus view.”

The Obama administration has been debating for months how to respond to the alleged Russian intrusions, with White House officials concerned about escalating tensions with Moscow and being accused of trying to boost Clinton’s campaign.

In September, during a secret briefing for congressional leaders, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) voiced doubts about the veracity of the intelligence, according to officials present.

How the Russian hackers got into the DNC's network P
The Post's Ellen Nakashima goes over the events, and discusses the two hacker groups responsible. (Jhaan Elker/The Washington Post)
The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump has consistently dismissed the intelligence community’s findings about Russian hacking. “I don’t believe they interfered” in the election, he told Time magazine this week. The hacking, he said, “could be Russia. And it could be China. And it could be some guy in his home in New Jersey.”

The CIA shared its latest assessment with key senators in a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill last week, in which agency officials cited a growing body of intelligence from multiple sources. Agency briefers told the senators it was now “quite clear” that electing Trump was Russia’s goal, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

The CIA presentation to senators about Russia’s intentions fell short of a formal U.S. assessment produced by all 17 intelligence agencies. A senior U.S. official said there were minor disagreements among intelligence officials about the agency’s assessment, in part because some questions remain unanswered.

For example, intelligence agencies do not have specific intelligence showing officials in the Kremlin “directing” the identified individuals to pass the Democratic emails to WikiLeaks, a second senior U.S. official said. Those actors, according to the official, were “one step” removed from the Russian government, rather than government employees. Moscow has in the past used middlemen to participate in sensitive intelligence operations so it has plausible deniability.

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has said in a television interview that the “Russian government is not the source.”

The White House and CIA officials declined to comment.

Did Russia interfere with the 2016 election? This GOP senator thinks so Play Video1:56
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says he wants to investigate whether Russia interfered with the 2016 U.S. election, amongst claims that Donald Trump's rhetoric on Russia and Vladimir Putin is too soft. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)
On Friday, the White House said President Obama had ordered a “full review” of Russian hacking during the election campaign, as pressure from Congress has grown for greater public understanding of exactly what Moscow did to influence the electoral process.

“We may have crossed into a new threshold, and it is incumbent upon us to take stock of that, to review, to conduct some after-action, to understand what has happened and to impart some lessons learned,” Obama’s counterterrorism and homeland security adviser, Lisa Monaco, told reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

Obama wants the report before he leaves office Jan. 20, Monaco said.

During her remarks, Monaco didn’t address the latest CIA assessment, which hasn’t been previously disclosed.

Seven Democratic senators last week asked Obama to declassify details about the intrusions and why officials believe that the Kremlin was behind the operation. Officials said Friday that the senators specifically were asking the White House to release portions of the CIA’s presentation.

This week, top Democratic lawmakers in the House also sent a letter to Obama, asking for briefings on Russian interference in the election.

U.S. intelligence agencies have been cautious for months in characterizing Russia’s motivations, reflecting the United States’ long-standing struggle to collect reliable intelligence on President Vladi­mir Putin and those closest to him.

In previous assessments, the CIA and other intelligence agencies told the White House and congressional leaders that they believed Moscow’s aim was to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system. The assessments stopped short of saying the goal was to help elect Trump.

On Oct. 7, the intelligence community officially accused Moscow of seeking to interfere in the election through the hacking of “political organizations.” Though the statement never specified which party, it was clear that officials were referring to cyber-intrusions into the computers of the DNC and other Democratic groups and individuals.

Some key Republican lawmakers have continued to question the quality of evidence supporting Russian involvement.

“I’ll be the first one to come out and point at Russia if there’s clear evidence, but there is no clear evidence — even now,” said Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a member of the Trump transition team. “There’s a lot of innuendo, lots of circumstantial evidence, that’s it.”

[U.S. investigating potential covert Russian plan to disrupt elections]

Though Russia has long conducted cyberspying on U.S. agencies, companies and organizations, this presidential campaign marks the first time Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election, the officials said.

The reluctance of the Obama White House to respond to the alleged Russian intrusions before Election Day upset Democrats on the Hill as well as members of the Clinton campaign.

Within the administration, top officials from different agencies sparred over whether and how to respond. White House officials were concerned that covert retaliatory measures might risk an escalation in which Russia, with sophisticated cyber capabilities, might have less to lose than the United States, with its vast and vulnerable digital infrastructure.

The White House’s reluctance to take that risk left Washington weighing more limited measures, including the “naming and shaming” approach of publicly blaming Moscow.

By mid-September, White House officials had decided it was time to take that step, but they worried that doing so unilaterally and without bipartisan congressional backing just weeks before the election would make Obama vulnerable to charges that he was using intelligence for political purposes.

Instead, officials devised a plan to seek bipartisan support from top lawmakers and set up a secret meeting with the Gang of 12 — a group that includes House and Senate leaders, as well as the ranking members of both chambers’ committees on intelligence and homeland security.

Obama dispatched Monaco, FBI Director James B. Comey and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to make the pitch for a “show of solidarity and bipartisan unity” against Russian interference in the election, according to a senior administration official.


Specifically, the White House wanted congressional leaders to sign off on a bipartisan statement urging state and local officials to take federal help in protecting their voting-registration and balloting machines from Russian cyber-intrusions.

Though U.S. intelligence agencies were skeptical that hackers would be able to manipulate the election results in a systematic way, the White House feared that Moscow would attempt to do so, sowing doubt about the fundamental mechanisms of democracy and potentially forcing a more dangerous confrontation between Washington and Moscow.

In a secure room in the Capitol used for briefings involving classified information, administration officials broadly laid out the evidence U.S. spy agencies had collected, showing Russia’s role in cyber-intrusions in at least two states and in hacking the emails of the Democratic organizations and individuals.

And they made a case for a united, bipartisan front in response to what one official described as “the threat posed by unprecedented meddling by a foreign power in our election process.”

The Democratic leaders in the room unanimously agreed on the need to take the threat seriously. Republicans, however, were divided, with at least two GOP lawmakers reluctant to accede to the White House requests.

According to several officials, McConnell raised doubts about the underlying intelligence and made clear to the administration that he would consider any effort by the White House to challenge the Russians publicly an act of partisan politics.

Some of the Republicans in the briefing also seemed opposed to the idea of going public with such explosive allegations in the final stages of an election, a move that they argued would only rattle public confidence and play into Moscow’s hands.

McConnell’s office did not respond to a request for comment. After the election, Trump chose McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao, as his nominee for transportation secretary.

Some Clinton supporters saw the White House’s reluctance to act without bipartisan support as further evidence of an excessive caution in facing adversaries.

“The lack of an administration response on the Russian hacking cannot be attributed to Congress,” said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, who was at the September meeting. “The administration has all the tools it needs to respond. They have the ability to impose sanctions. They have the ability to take clandestine means. The administration has decided not to utilize them in a way that would deter the Russians, and I think that’s a problem.”

Philip Rucker contributed to this report.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... 29802ddd14



CIA gave this information to U.S. government before election?

Image
Russia was trying to help Trump win White House

Mitch McConnell helped the Russians interfere in the U. S. elections

Treasonous Mitch McConnell Refused To Oppose Russia Election Meddling For Trump
By Jason Easley on Fri, Dec 9th, 2016 at 8:55 pm
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was informed about Russia interfering in the election to help Trump before election day, but he refused to stand with President Obama and condemn the actions of Putin's government.

The Senate Majority Leader was told that Russia was meddling in the presidential election, and he responded by turning his back on his own country so that a man who will be a puppet of a foreign regime could have a better chance of winning the White House.

When Mitch McConnell was offered a choice between partisan politics and his country, he chose partisanship. Anyone who thinks that this man will ever allow a Republican investigation into Russian election interference is kidding themselves.

Though his opposition, Sen. McConnell made himself complicit in the Russian takeover of the White House. Mitch McConnell wanted Republicans to get the White House back so badly that he sold out his own country to get it.

America has a new Benedict Arnold, and he is the Majority Leader of the United States Senate. If the Trump administration leads to the worst case scenario for America, Mitch McConnell will be one of the Republicans who will deserve the most blame.
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/12/09/ ... trump.html


A Veteran Spy Has Given the FBI Information Alleging a Russian Operation to Cultivate Donald Trump
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/201 ... nald-trump





Trump Calls The CIA Liars After His Secret Russian Relationship Gets Exposed
By Jason Easley on Fri, Dec 9th, 2016 at 10:09 pm
Donald Trump's transition team released a statement in response to the CIA report that Russia interfered in the presidential election to help the GOP nominee where they strongly suggested that the CIA is lying.

The Trump team responded to the report in The Washington Post, “These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It’s now time to move on and “Make America Great Again.”

Trump was suggested that the CIA was lying in 2016, because in the run-up to the Iraq war, the Bush administration, specifically Vice President Dick Cheney pressured the intelligence community to come up with false intel to support invading Iraq.

The second falsehood told by the Trump transition was about the size of his Electoral College victory. Trump’s victory was the third smallest Electoral College win since 1980. Only George W. Bush’s were smaller.

The president-elect has been skipping his intelligence briefings, and now appears to be in a state of open war with the CIA. The problem for Trump is that it isn’t only the CIA who made this claim. Seventeen intelligence agencies believe that Russia interfered in the presidential election.

Seventeen intelligence agencies aren’t all lying. Trump had obvious connections to Russia throughout the presidential campaign. Someone is definitely not telling the truth, and the evidence points to the Donald Trump as the man behind the cover-up of the Russian assist that he got in the presidential election.

Russia interference in presidential election, Russia meddling in US election, Trump claims CIA is lying, Trump says CIA lying about Russia meddling
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/12/09/ ... posed.html
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
User avatar
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Posts: 32090
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