Pelosi, Schiff Statement Following ODNI Announcement Regarding Election Security and Foreign Threats
Statement
Today, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) issued a joint statement following the Office of Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) releasing an additional update on election security and foreign threats before the election:
"On July 24, 2020, we raised concern that a statement released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence regarding foreign efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election did not go far enough in informing the public about specific threats and provided a false sense of equivalence to the actions of foreign adversaries by listing three countries of unequal operational intent, actions, and capabilities together.
"Today's statement improves on the last by including more detail that American voters deserve to know, including about the actions of Kremlin-linked actors seeking to undermine Vice President Biden, and seeking to help President Trump. These details should help the public, Congress, and the presidential campaigns guard against foreign disinformation. And we are pleased that Mr. Evanina heeded our call to make additional details public about Russia's malign interference campaign and Mr. Derkach's role.
"Unfortunately, today's statement still treats three actors of differing intent and capability as equal threats to our democratic elections. Members of Congress have now been briefed on the specific threats facing the 2020 election, and we have been clear with the Intelligence Community that the American people must be provided with specific information that would allow voters to appraise for themselves the respective threats posed by these foreign actors, and distinguish these actors' different and unequal aims, current actions, and capabilities. All of this can be done consistent with the need to protect sources and methods.
"We hope and expect that the Intelligence Community will be even more forthcoming with the public moving forward, and we will continue to press for greater transparency."
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