Tag: foreign election interference

EXCLUSIVE: Intelligence chief briefed lawmakers of foreign influence threats to Congress

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The nation’s top intelligence official briefed lawmakers last month that foreign influence campaigns targeting Congress were more expansive than previously known, but a lack of specifics has left some with questions, multiple sources tell The Hill.

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe led intelligence officials in separately briefing the House and Senate Intelligence panels behind closed doors on the threats, informing lawmakers that the burgeoning foreign influence threat is being perpetrated by the usual suspects: China, Russia and Iran, though he indicated that Beijing was the primary aggressor.

Ratcliffe gave ballpark estimates of how many lawmakers have been targeted, suggesting it is from the dozens to roughly 50. But in the briefings, he declined to identify which members of Congress were the targets and he did not indicate if one party was being more heavily targeted than the other. Continue reading.

Senior intelligence officials will no longer brief Congress in person on foreign threats to the 2020 election

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Senior intelligence officials will no longer brief Congress in person on foreign interference in the 2020 election. Instead, they will inform lawmakers of threats in writing, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said Saturday.

The decision, made with Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe’s assent, arose out of concerns that briefings to lawmakers have resulted in leaks of classified information, an ODNI official said.

But the change threatens to undermine the community’s pledge to be transparent with Congress and the public at a time when three foreign adversaries, including Russia, are seeking to influence the American political process. Continue reading.

Trump urges China to investigate Bidens

The Hill logoPresident Trump on Thursday publicly encouraged both China and Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son amid growing concerns over how Trump has used his position to pressure foreign governments to look into his political rivals.

“I would think that if they were honest about it they’d start a major investigation into the Bidens,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked what he wanted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to do about the Bidens following the July 25 call between the two leaders.

That call triggered an intelligence community whistleblower complaint and is at the heart of House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into the president.

View the complete October 3 article by Brett Samuels and Morgan Chalfant on The Hill website here.

Rep. Dean Phillips Introduces Firewall Act to Prohibit Foreign Online Spending in U.S. Elections

Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) introduced the Firewall Act aimed at preventing foreign meddling in U.S. elections. The bill would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit foreign nationals from paying for online advertisements created to attack or support federal candidates. Current law prevents similar foreign spending on television, radio, satellite and print advertisements, leaving bad actors with an open door to spread malice and misinformation in the burgeoning online political ad market.

“Given the grave nature of events we’re watching unfold in Washington, it is clear that our democracy faces threats from the inside and out,” said Phillips. “Nowhere is that more apparent than in digital political advertising. Americans of all political persuasions are asking us to step up and prevent foreign interference in our elections, and Congress should act swiftly to update our laws and protect our democracy. If we fail to pass the Firewall Act, foreign actors will continue to use online ads to divide and misinform voters, and we will have earned the American people’s distrust in the democratic process.”  Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips Introduces Firewall Act to Prohibit Foreign Online Spending in U.S. Elections”

Rep. Phillips Sponsors Bipartisan “Honest Ads Act” to Bring Transparency to Online Ads, Prevent Foreign Influence

Phillips continues to lead on reform as H.R. 1 reform package advances in committee

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) today announced that he is the only freshmen member of Congress who will appear as an original cosponsor of the Honest Ads Act in the 116th Congress. The bill is aimed at strengthening our democracy – as well as national security – by increasing the transparency and accountability of digital political advertising. The Honest Ads Act has bipartisan support, boasting an equal number of Republican and Democratic sponsors.

“Our democracy faces threats from both the inside and outside,” said Phillips. “Nowhere is that more apparent than in digital political communication and advertising. From dark money groups circumventing disclosure requirements, to foreign governments interfering in elections, it is time to update laws to protect our democracy. The Honest Ads Act does that in a bipartisan fashion. I thank Sen. Klobuchar for her leadership and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill.”

The Honest Ads Act will update disclosure requirements for political advertising for the digital age. Specifically, the bill requires the same disclosures for digital political ads that are currently in place for broadcast, expands public filing requirements and requires all advertising platforms to do more to prevent foreign interests from influencing the American political conversation. Continue reading “Rep. Phillips Sponsors Bipartisan “Honest Ads Act” to Bring Transparency to Online Ads, Prevent Foreign Influence”

DNC on Trump’s Executive Order To Sanction Foreign Election Interference

In response to Trump’s executive order to authorize sanctions on foreign entities who interfere in future elections, DNC deputy communications director Adrienne Watson released the following statement:

“This is a small step, but there is still much more that must be done to secure our elections. Trump’s executive order does nothing to hold Russia accountable for their 2016 election interference, and Republicans have repeatedly refused to join Democrats in providing additional, necessary funding to states for election security. If Trump is serious about protecting our elections, he must do more to stand up to Russia and to provide states with the resources they need to defend against future attacks from foreign adversaries.”