“This data can be used by foreign actors to try to mislead registered voters into hoping that they hope there will be confusion, chaos and damage to your faith in American democracy.”
“We have already seen Iran sending emails designed to intimidate voters, provoke social unrest and hurt President (Donald) Trump,” Ratcliffe added. “You may have seen some reports about this in the last 24 hours, or you may have been one of the recipients of those emails.”
Ratcliffe did not specify what he meant by his statement that the emails – which were sent to registered voters from “[email protected]” and received recipients “Vote for Trump!” – was intended to harm the President.
Democrats and a group of former intelligence officials, including a Republican congressman to lead the intelligence community this year, announced the secret selection in the election campaign to help Trump campaign, and Democrats from the Homeland Security Committee. Them after the press conference.
A source in Florida’s election office told CNN that during an FBI briefing Wednesday, agents told him a proud boy email that threats to vote for Trump came from the state of the country – and they were watching him across the country. The source said agents told him the emails were “not the work of a Florida man in his basement.”
Russia has not taken the same steps, but has obtained some voter information in the same way that Moscow did in 2016, Tucliff said.
Ratcliffe spoke with FBI Director Chris Wray at a news conference in a hurry Wednesday evening to announce the interference in the foreign election.
“We are prepared for the possibility of action by those who oppose democracy,” Ratcliffe said.
Before the news conference began, the Senate Selection Committee on No Intelligence – the top two members – Florida Republicans, Marco Rubio and Virginia Democrat – Mark Warner, issued a joint statement warning of foreign interference in the election.
“As we enter the last week before the election, we urge every American – including members of the media – to be careful about believing or spreading unsubstantiated, sensational claims about voting and voting,” the statement said. “State and local election officials are in regular contact with federal law enforcement and cyber security professionals and are working round the clock to ensure that Election 2020 is safe, secure and free from outside interference.”
Along with Russia and China, Iran was named as one of three foreign rivals seeking to interfere in the 2020 race in an unprecedented statement by the intelligence community’s top election security official, Bill Ivana, on foreign gusto.
“Our assessment is that Iran is trying to undermine US democratic institutions, President Trump, and seek to divide the country before the 2020 election. These efforts by Iran will probably focus on the influence of the line, such as ambiguity on social media.” Like spreading and re-circulating. Anti-US material, “said a statement issued on behalf of the entire intelligence community.
It added that “Tehran’s motivation to carry out such activities is, in part, based on the belief that US pressure on Iran will continue in an effort to stimulate regime change since President Trump’s election.”
The same statement said that the assessment of the US intelligence community was “using a variety of measures to discredit what former Russia sees as Vice President Biden and primarily as an anti-Russian” establishment. “
“This is consistent with Moscow’s public criticism of him when he was vice president for supporting the Obama administration’s policies on Ukraine and for supporting anti-Putin protests inside Russia … Some Kremlin-affiliated actors also want to boost the president. On social media and Russian television. Trump’s candidacy, “he added.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
CNN’s Jeff Zelany, Donnie O’Sullivan and Evan Perez contributed to the report.
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