Schiff Statement on Mueller Indictment of Russian Individuals and Organizations for Electoral Interference

Statement

Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement:

"Today's indictment by Special Counsel Mueller is a significant step forward in exposing Russia's political and electoral interference in our democracy and holding Russia, and its agents, accountable. The indictment spells out in exhaustive detail the breadth and systematic nature of Russia's conspiracy, dating back to 2014, as well as the multiple ways in which Russian actors misused online platforms to carry out their clandestine operations.

"The indictment reaffirms what our Intelligence Community concluded, what our Committee's investigation has borne out, and what President Trump denies: that Russia interfered in our election in an effort to assist his presidential campaign and harm Hillary Clinton's campaign. The indictment's charges are also consistent with the Committee's specific findings about Russia's stealth exploitation of social media networks, which the Committee highlighted for the American public in its open hearing and will continue to expose in the weeks to come. The indictment outlines the great lengths to which Russian nationals working for Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Putin, gathered intelligence as early as 2014, within the U.S. and about Americans, to carry out their covert operation.

"Importantly, the indictment sets out some of the U.S laws violated by the Russians, including various conspiracy counts. While it does not include an allegation that any U.S. persons conspired wittingly with the Russian actors, the indictment leaves open the vital question of whether Americans, including any associated with the Trump campaign, knowingly played a role in Russia's active measures campaign."

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