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U.S. NEWS Saturday 14 July 2018

Moscow now accused of U.S. election meddling, in indictment

By ERIC TUCKER The GRU, which answers to
Associated Press the Russian military's Gener-
WASHINGTON (AP) — al Staff, is part of the state
Twelve Russian military in- machine and its involve-
telligence officers hacked ment would indicate that
into the Clinton presiden- the orders to interfere in the
tial campaign and Demo- U.S. election came from
cratic Party, releasing tens the very top.
of thousands of stolen and One attempt at interfer-
politically damaging com- ence noted in the indict-
munications, in a sweeping ment came hours after
conspiracy by the Kremlin Trump, in a July 27, 2016,
to meddle in the 2016 U.S. speech, suggested Russians
election, according to a look for emails that Clinton
grand jury indictment an- said she had deleted from
nounced days before Presi- her tenure as secretary of
dent Donald Trump's sum- state.
mit with Russian President "Russia, if you're listening,"
Vladimir Putin. Trump said, "I hope you're
The indictment stands as able to find the 30,000
special counsel Robert emails that are missing."
Mueller's first allegation im- That evening, the indict-
plicating the Russian gov- ment says, the Russians
ernment directly in criminal attempted to break into
behavior meant to sway email accounts used by
the presidential election. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein speaks during a news conference at the Department of Clinton's personal office,
U.S. intelligence agen- Justice, Friday, July 13, 2018, in Washington. along with 76 Clinton cam-
cies have said the med- Associated Press paign email addresses.
dling was aimed at help- Hours before the Justice De-
ing the Trump campaign Yuri Ushakov, said Friday. presidential election. The cated in the new indict- partment announcement,
and harming the election But the indictment identi- indictment does not allege ment. Trump's lawyer, Rudy Trump complained anew
bid of his Democratic op- fies the defendants as offi- that Trump campaign asso- Giuliani, said on Twitter that that the special counsel's
ponent, Hillary Clinton. The cers with Russia's Main Intel- ciates were involved in the it was time to end the Muel- investigation is complicat-
effort also included bogus ligence Directorate of the hacking efforts or that any ler investigation since "no ing his efforts to forge a
Facebook ads and social General Staff, also known American was knowingly in Americans are involved." better working relationship
media postings that pros- as GRU. contact with Russian intelli- But with Mueller still inves- with Russia. Trump and Pu-
ecutors say were aimed at It accuses them of covertly gence officers. tigating, it's not known tin are scheduled to hold
influencing public opinion monitoring the computers The indictment also does whether further indictments talks Monday in Finland, a
and sowing discord on hot- of dozens of Democratic not allege that any vote are taking shape or will. meeting largely sought by
button social issues. officials and volunteers, tallies were altered by Before Friday, 20 people Trump.
The indictment lays out a implanting malicious com- hacking. and three companies had After the indictments were
broad, coordinated effort puter code known as mal- Still, Deputy Attorney Gen- been charged in the Muel- announced, top Senate
starting in March 2016 to ware and using phishing eral Rod Rosenstein said ler investigation. The 20 are Democrat Chuck Schumer
break into key Democrat- emails to gain control of the internet "allows foreign four former Trump cam- called on Trump to cancel
ic email accounts, such the accounts of people as- adversaries to attack Amer- paign and White House his meeting with Putin until
as those belonging to the sociated with the Clinton icans in new and unex- aides, three of whom have Russia takes steps to prove
Democratic National Com- campaign. pected ways. Free and fair pleaded guilty to different it won't interfere in future
mittee, the Clinton cam- By June 2016, the defen- elections are hard-fought crimes and agreed to co- elections. He said the in-
paign and the Democratic dants began planning the and contentious and there operate, and 13 Russians dictments are "further proof
Congressional Campaign release of tens of thousands will always be adversaries accused of participating of what everyone but the
Committee. Among those of stolen emails and docu- who work to exacerbate in a hidden but powerful president seems to under-
targeted was John Pod- ments, the indictment al- domestic differences and social media campaign to stand: President Putin is an
esta, the Clinton campaign leges. The messages were try to confuse, divide and sway U.S. public opinion in adversary who interfered in
chairman. released through fictitious conquer us." the 2016 election. our elections to help Presi-
The Kremlin denied anew personas like DCLeaks and A White House statement If the involvement of the dent Trump win."
that it tried to sway the Guccifer 2.0. offered no condemna- GRU officers in the hack- Trump complained about
election. "The Russian state The charges come as Muel- tion of the alleged Russian ing effort is proved, it would "stupidity" when asked
has never interfered and ler continues to investigate conspiracy. Instead it fo- shatter the Kremlin denials about Mueller's probe ear-
has no intention of interfer- potential coordination be- cused on the fact that no of the Russian state's in- lier Friday, at a news con-
ing in the U.S. elections," Pu- tween Russia and the Trump Trump campaign officials volvement in the U.S. elec- ference in Britain with Prime
tin's foreign affairs adviser, campaign to influence the or Americans were impli- tions. Minister Theresa May.q