Report: FBI Suspects Russia In Hack Of Clinton Campaign Chair’s Emails

Campaign Chair John Podesta on board Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign plane en route to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Morrisville, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The FBI suspects Russian intelligence agencies directed the hacking of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chair’s emails, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The Journal cited “people briefed on the investigations” who asserted that the FBI suspected Russia was behind the hack of John Podesta’s emails. The unnamed sources said the FBI also believed Russia was behind the hacking of a Florida contractor, which revealed voters’ personal data.

Last Friday, the United States formally accused Russia of hacking political organizations including the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The statement blaming Russia for the hacks acknowledged that some states experienced “scanning and probing” of their election systems but stopped short of attributing that activity to the Russian government.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, the Journal reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin wondered aloud at an investors forum, “Everyone is saying, ‘Who did it?’. But does it matter that much? It’s what’s inside the information that matters.”

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov seemed to soften his position as well.

“We did not deny this,” he said of the hacks, adding “They did not prove it.”

On Tuesday night, Podesta, whose hacked emails are currently being released in installments by Wikileaks, said he suspected Trump confidante Roger Stone knew of the upcoming leaks. Stone called Podesta’s allegations “categorically false” and “without foundation.”

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: