National security officials told lawmakers on Tuesday the intelligence community has not concluded Russia is backing any particular 2020 candidate while warning about meddling from multiple countries.
The information that appeared in an unclassified fact sheet from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which coordinates the nation’s 17 intelligence agencies, rejects a stream of media reports on classified briefings on election security.
“The IC has not concluded that the Kremlin is directly aiding any candidate’s reelection or any other candidates’ election. Nor have we concluded that the Russians will definitely choose to try to do so in 2020,” the fact sheet read. “This is not a Russia-only problem. China, Iran, other countries like North Korea and Cuba, and non-state actors all have the opportunity, means, and potential motive to interfere in the 2020 elections as a way to achieve their goals.”
This statement counters anonymously sourced media reports in which unnamed sources said the intelligence community concluded Russia was helping President Trump with reelection and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont win the Democratic primaries.
The ODNI said Tuesday that “Russian social media and state media messaging has taken aim at some of the candidates from both parties, in part to signal Russia’s unhappiness with policy statements or choices” and “we expect that the intent of hostile state actors toward the 2020 election will evolve as the election nears.”
William Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, conducted the ODNI portion of the briefing and was joined by FBI Director Christopher Wray, National Security Agency Director Paul Nakasone, and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf.
Last month, the intelligence community disputed information the media were given about a classified House Intelligence Committee briefing, with officials denying that lawmakers were told Russia is attempting to help Trump in 2020.
“We cannot comment on classified briefings, but what we can tell you is that Shelby did not say Russia is aiding the reelection of President Trump,” an ODNI spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.
That briefing took place on Feb. 13 and was conducted in part by Shelby Pierson, the election threats executive under then-acting DNI Joseph Maguire. Since then, Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell took over as acting spy chief, and Rep. John Ratcliffe of Texas was renominated to take on the position permanently. He awaits Senate confirmation.
According to sources cited by the New York Times, Pierson warned “Russia was interfering in the 2020 campaign to try to get President Trump reelected.”
Trump called it “another misinformation campaign” last month.
“Nobody briefed me about that at all,” Trump said. “They leaked it, Adam Schiff and his group.”
Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, tweeted that “your false claims fool no one” and “you’ve betrayed America — again.”
Trump national security adviser Robert O’Brien has repeatedly insisted he has not seen any intelligence showing Russia was trying to get Trump reelected.
The Washington Post published a piece last month citing sources claiming U.S. officials told Sanders that “Russia is attempting to help his presidential campaign as part of an effort to interfere with the Democratic contest.”
In response, Sanders said, “The Russians want to undermine American democracy by dividing us up and, unlike the current president, I stand firmly against their efforts.”
On Tuesday, the intelligence community also drew attention to Chinese and Iranian foreign influence, claiming “Beijing continues to promote policies that are in line with China’s interests” and “China may consider more aggressive or expansive activity if bilateral relations significantly worsen” while warning that “we must not underestimate Iran, which maintains a robust cyber program.”
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence provided lawmakers with “talking points” on election security, noting that “we have made considerable strides since 2016 to improve and expand our capacity and capabilities in securing the U.S. elections.” The intelligence community said, “As a result of the interference in the 2016 presidential election and the very real threats to our elections that still exist, the U.S. government has marshaled an unprecedented level of support to state and local officials, political campaigns, and the private sector.”
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s two-year investigation concluded “the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion” but “did not establish” any conspiracy between Trump and Russia.
The ODNI also pushed back Tuesday against a Washington Post report that cited sources claiming that Grenell “has declined to appear before Congress … to speak about foreign election threats, citing apprehension about his preparedness to address sensitive subjects that tend to upset the president.”
The intelligence office called this “erroneous” because the office “did not communicate to Congress at any point” that Grenell would participate in election security briefings. The ODNI said the FBI and Homeland Security Department “are the lead in charge of securing our elections” and that the intelligence community participated in the briefings “in support of that mission” and “is focused on detecting and countering foreign election-related threats.”
Grenell himself tweeted that the story was “not remotely true.”
“But I know in D.C. you are allowed to use ‘anonymous sources’ who don’t know the facts (or don’t even exist) as pretend sources,” he added. “The American people are tired of the manipulation.”
