U.S. intellegence is investigating a secret Russian covert operation to sow public distrust in the presidential election, accordig to a report Monday morning.
Congressional lawmakers have revealed that President Vladimir Putin’s agents are using cybertools to hack into the political process and spread disinformation, a Washington Post report says.
News of the spy-vs.-spy operation comes at a time of growing awareness that the Kremlin employs thousands to Internet “trolls” to spread disinformation, and has buildings full of staff trying to sway public opinion in countries around the world in a direction that helps Putin’s agenda for Russian power.
One senior intelligence officer told the Post that Russia’s machinations are “something we’re looking very closely at.”
The U.S. counterintelligence operation is being led by James Clapper, director of national intelligence.
Both presidential candidates have ties to Russia that have raised eyebrows. Hillary Clinton was involved in a controversial decision to sell American uranium mining rights to Russia at the same time that her husband, Bill Clinton, was collecting a $500,000 speaking fee from a Kremlin-linked bank. Donald Trump’s former campaign manager worked for the Soviet puppet regime in Ukraine, and Team Trump intervened to change the Republican Party platform in a way that suited Putin.
