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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 19 deceMber 2016

Trump aides ask of Russian meddling: Does it matter?

Even if it’s true, they said, people like those who lost sional investigation.
Trump still won the White the election are doing, California Rep. Adam
House fair and square. they would be scorned & Schiff, the senior Demo-
The pushback came a called terrible names!” crat on the House Intel-
day before members of The partisan swipes mostly ligence Committee, said
the Electoral College are ignored warnings by for- an unclassified intelligence
scheduled to formally cast eign policy experts that review could be released
votes for Trump as the 45th part of Russia’s calculation within the next two weeks
president. While Demo- also was likely payback or three weeks.
crats likely are powerless for years of U.S. criticism As president-elect, Trump
to stop it, they suggested of its own elections and a would have access to
Trump’s victory over Dem- desire to portray America high-level intelligence on
ocrat Hillary Clinton would as a flawed champion of the matter, although it’s
forever be tainted by Rus- democracy — potentially unclear what he’s been
sian meddling. weakening U.S. power on told. Trump has previously
“This whole thing is a spin the world stage. Russia has called the intelligence find-
job,” said Trump’s incom- vehemently denied the ac- ing of Russian involvement
In this Monday, Sept. 28, 2015 file photo, U.S. President Barack ing chief of staff, Reince cusation. “ridiculous.” On Sunday,
Obama, right, and Russia’s President President Vladimir Putin Priebus. “And I think what Many lawmakers, including Conway said she wasn’t
pose for members of the media before a bilateral meeting at the Democrats ought to some leading Republicans, privy to the same intelli-
the United Nations headquarters. do is look in the mirror and say voters may not have gence briefings as the pres-
Associated Press face the reality that they been swayed by the re- ident-elect and couldn’t
ANNE FLAHERTY elect isn’t ready to accept lost the election.” lease of tens of thousands say what he knows.
Associated Press the finding by intelligence Trump himself weighed in of private emails. But the Donna Brazile, interim head
WASHINGTON (AP) — Don- officials that Moscow Sunday evening, tweet- fact that a foreign power of the Democratic National
ald Trump’s top aides on hacked Democratic emails ing, “If my many support- tried to intervene in U.S. de- Committee, said the DNC
Sunday said the president- in a bid to elevate Trump. ers acted and threatened mocracy and exploit divi- was no match for a sophis-
sions in American politics is ticated foreign power in
cause for alarm, they say. cyberspace that “weap-
Still, Trump’s transition team onized” private emails to
and loyalists on Capitol Hill “sow misinformation and
weren’t buying it, at least to sow discord” between
not on the eve of the Elec- Clinton and her primary ri-
toral College vote. val, Vermont Sen. Bernie
“Where’s the evidence?” Sanders.
asked Kellyanne Conway, Also on Sunday:
another close Trump ad- —Brazile said the cyberat-
viser. tacks against the DNC oc-
Asked about President curred every day through
Barack Obama’s vow to re- the end of the election. The
taliate against the Russians, comment seemed to con-
Conway said: “It seems like tradict Obama assertion
the president is under pres- that they stopped after he
sure from Team Hillary, who warned Russian President
can’t accept the election Vladimir Putin in Septem-
results.” ber.
Democrats say it’s un- —Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-
likely the public will ever N.Y., and John McCain, R-
hear detailed evidence Ariz., called for creation of
because doing so would a special Senate investiga-
disclose classified sources tive committee focused on
and methods. But with last Russia, China and Iran po-
week’s declaration by CIA tentially trying to interfere in
Director John Brennan that U.S. elections through high-
there was “strong consen- tech meddling.
sus” that Russia hacked —Priebus said he was “100
Democrats to try to sway percent confident” that
the election, lawmakers the Senate would confirm
are stepping up demands Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tiller-
for closed-door briefings son as Trump’s secretary of
and a separate congres- state.q