Letter to Attorney General William Barr and Director Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Reps. Waltz, Murphy Demand Answers on Russian Intrusion Into Florida Election Systems

Letter

Dear Attorney General Barr and Director Wray:

As United States Representatives from Florida and former national security professionals, we write to respectfully request a classified briefing for the Florida delegation on the nature and extent of the Russian government's efforts to interfere with the 2016 election in our state. We are determined to learn as much as we can about what transpired so that, as lawmakers, we can take appropriate steps to prevent such intrusions from reoccurring in the future.

The Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, known as the Mueller report, states that the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU, "targeted individuals and entities involved in the administration of the 2016 elections" in Florida. Page 51 of the report says:

"[I]n November 2016, the GRU sent spearphishing emails to over 120 email accounts used by Florida county officials responsible for administering the 2016 U.S. election. The spearphishing emails contained an attached Word document coded with malicious software that permitted the GRU to access the infected computer. The FBI was separately responsible for this investigation. We understand the FBI believes that this operation enabled the GRU to gain access to the network of at least one Florida county government."

This paragraph raises a host of critically-important questions that require answers. We look forward to working with you to arrange the briefing for the Florida delegation on mutually-acceptable terms as swiftly as possible.

Sincerely,

Michael Waltz
Member of Congress

Stephanie Murphy
Member of Congress

Source