The lead Democratic proponent of creating an independent commission to investigate Russian interference in internal U.S. affairs sought traction Wednesday by launching a website dedicated to showing Moscow’s fingerprints on campaign season hacks and ties to President Trump and his inner circle.
“Russia is not our friend,” said Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif. “They attacked our democracy. Yet, President Trump resists this finding, even though every day we continue to hear more about his team’s ties with Russia.”
The site has five main sections: Russia: not our friend; Russia: Trump and his team’s ties; Russia: attack on our democracy; Russia: influencing Trump and his team; and now what?
Under “Trump ties,” Swalwell includes a diagram with arrows showing the lines between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Trump aides, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Other lines shoot from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Trump campaign chairman and adviser Paul Manafort to “Russian business interests.”
Under “Russia: not our friend” is a timeline detailing Russian cyberattacks on various other countries, such as Ukraine, Germany and Finland.
“For years now, the Kremlin has looked for ways to disrupt democracies, to help the people that they like to come to power and to undermine the credibility of the democratic process,” former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul is quoted as saying in the same section.
Under “now what,” Swalwell makes the case for the bill he and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., introduced that would create a 9/11-style outside panel to investigate everything from Russian hacking of Democratic officials’ emails to possible unsavory connections between Moscow and Trump’s cabinet.
