The House and Senate intelligence committees separately began investigating allegations this week involving the Russian government’s attempts to meddle in the 2016 White House race as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle look for evidence indicating the Kremlin ordered hacking campaigns and other initiatives against American targets prior to President Trump’s election.
The chair and ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence issued a joint statement Wednesday saying the panel has moved forward with its plans to probe any activities carried out by the Russian government regarding the U.S. elections, specifically computer intrusions and other “active measures” taken against the U.S. and its allies, as well as “any intelligence regarding links between Russia and individuals associated with political campaigns.”
“While the Committee has already begun to receive important documents, we trust that the incoming leadership of the Intelligence Community will fully and promptly support our requests for information related to the inquiry,” Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, Republican, and ranking Democratic Adam Schiff, both of California, said in the statement.
“This issue is not about party, but about country. The Committee will continue to follow the facts wherever they may lead,” the congressmen said.
The House panel’s announcement came just one day after the Senate Intelligence Committee revealed it had begun investigating on its own with respect to the alleged Kremlin-ordered influence campaign carried out in the shadows while Mr. Trump and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton fought tooth and nail for the oval office.
Lawmakers in the Senate will look “everywhere the intelligence tells us to go,” Committee Chairman Richard Burr, North Carolina Republican, told The Washington Post Tuesday.
Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican and the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said his panel plans to probe Russia’s alleged hacking campaign through an investigation of its own slated to commence within the next couple weeks, paving the way for the possibility of three or more investigations occurring concurrently on Capitol Hill, The Post reported.
The U.S. intelligence community announced in October that Russian hackers were likely responsible for hacking members of the Democratic Party in a bid to influence the outcome of the White House race.
The Obama administration expanded on those findings earlier this month, stating the intelligence community believes with “high confidence” that “Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election.”
The Russian government has repeatedly denied the U.S. intelligence community’s assertions, despite growing evidence linking Kremlin-tied hackers to campaigns waged against various targets of interest to Moscow.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.