WASHINGTON – DNC Interim Chair Donna Brazile today called on Congress to launch a thorough, independent, and bipartisan investigation into the Russian government’s unprecedented interference in the 2016 election.  The intelligence community concluded that the Russian government orchestrated a series of cyberattacks on campaign committees and organizations over the past two years and used stolen information to influence both the Presidential campaign and Congressional races  over the past two years.

“Unfortunately, there is still much that we do not know about the motives, methods and specific objectives of the Russian government, and the reaction of our own government.  Without that understanding, our country will be left vulnerable to attacks in future elections.  

“What we do know is that these intrusions were not just “hacks” – they were attacks on the United States by a foreign power, and they must be treated as such. As Chair of the Democratic National Committee—one of the main victims of the Russian attacks—I ask that you support and provide any needed assistance to an independent, bipartisan investigation of the attacks that includes public hearings.”

There have been news reports in recent days about Russia’s meticulous plans and Vladimir Putin’s personal involvement in directing how stolen material was leaked.  Among the questions Brazile is requesting that Congress investigate and answer are:

• What was the intent of the Russian government?
• When did related Russian activities in the United States begin and end?
• What other organizations or individuals were targeted?
• When and how were leaders in Congress briefed on Russia’s role in these attacks?
• When and how were campaigns, candidates and political organizations briefed on these attacks?
• How effective was our government in detecting and investigating these activities?
• What options are available to our government and political institutions to protect our elections from cyberattacks and foreign influence?
• What steps were taken to protect the country once the attacks were detected?
• What more could have been done by our government to protect the election from this cyberattack and hack?
• How can our government better assist political organizations, non-profits, corporations and other non-government entities in preventing these intrusions in the future?

The full text of Brazile’s letter is below:

Dear Speaker Ryan:

I write to request that Congress launch a thorough, independent, and bipartisan investigation on the Russian government’s unprecedented interference in the 2016 election. 

By now Americans know beyond any reasonable doubt that the Russian government orchestrated a series of cyberattacks on campaign committees and organizations over the past two years and used stolen information to influence both the Presidential campaign and Congressional races.  On October 7, the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security made public the consensus view of the seventeen elements of the U.S. Intelligence Community, expressing with confidence “that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations,” and “that only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities.”  The Director of National Intelligence confirmed on December 16, 2016 that the agencies continue to stand by that assessment.

Indeed, after an exhaustive investigation, this week the New York Times reported on “a well-documented conclusion that Moscow carried out a meticulously planned series of attacks and information releases devised to interfere in the 2016 presidential race.”  Furthermore, NBC reported that U.S. intelligence officials have a “high level of confidence” that Russian President Vladimir Putin was personally involved in these attacks, including providing direction on how the stolen material was leaked.

Unfortunately, there is still much that we do not know about the motives, methods and specific objectives of the Russian government, and the reaction of our own government.  Without that understanding, our country will be left vulnerable to attacks in future elections.  

What we do know is that these intrusions were not just “hacks” – they were attacks on the United States by a foreign power, and they must be treated as such. As Chair of the Democratic National Committee—one of the main victims of the Russian attacks—I ask that you support and provide any needed assistance to an independent, bipartisan investigation of the attacks that includes public hearings. 

Among the questions we urge this investigation to explore and seek to answer are:

• What was the intent of the Russian government?
• When did related Russian activities in the United States begin and end?
• What other organizations or individuals were targeted?
• When and how were leaders in Congress briefed on Russia’s role in these attacks?
• When and how were campaigns, candidates and political organizations briefed on these attacks?
• How effective was our government in detecting and investigating these activities?
• What options are available to our government and political institutions to protect our elections from cyberattacks and foreign influence?
• What steps were taken to protect the country once the attacks were detected?
• What more could have been done by our government to protect the election from this cyberattack and hack?
• How can our government better assist political organizations, non-profits, corporations and other non-government entities in preventing these intrusions in the future?

In defeat and when mistakes have been made, our country has a proud, honored and timeless tradition of coming together and rising above partisan politics to determine the truth, learn from the experience, and become stronger as a nation.  We hope that Congress will undertake this important work as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,

Donna Brazile

Interim Chair, Democratic National Committee

CC:

Honorable Mitch McConnell

Senate Majority Leader

United States Senate

Honorable Charles Schumer

Senate Minority Leader

United States Senate

Honorable Nancy Pelosi

House Minority Leader

United States House of Representatives

Honorable Kevin McCarthy

House Majority Leader

United States House of Representatives

Honorable Steny Hoyer

House Minority Whip

United States House of Representatives

Honorable Steve Scalise

House Majority Whip

United States House of Representatives

Honorable Richard Burr

Chairman

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Honorable Dianne Feinstein

Vice Chairman

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Honorable Devin Nunes

Chairman

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Honorable Adam Schiff

Ranking Member

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Honorable Charles Grassley

Chairman

Senate Committee on the Judiciary

Honorable Patrick Leahy

Ranking Member

Senate Committee on the Judiciary

Honorable Robert Goodlatte

Chairman

House Committee on the Judiciary

Honorable John Conyers, Jr.

Ranking Member

House Committee on the Judiciary

Honorable Ron Johnson

Chairman

Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs

Honorable Thomas Carper

Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs

Honorable Jason Chaffetz

Chairman

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Honorable Elijah Cummings

Ranking Member

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Honorable John McCain

Chairman

Senate Committee on Armed Services

Honorable Jack Reed

Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Armed Services

Honorable Mac Thornberry

Chairman

House Committee on Armed Services

Honorable Adam Smith

Ranking Member

House Committee on Armed Services