This Friday, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) announced plans to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
“The Committee will follow the intelligence wherever it leads,” Burr said in a statement. “We will conduct this review expeditiously, but we will take the time to get it right and will not be influenced by uninformed discourse.”
The investigation will look into reports that say Russian President Vladimir Putin personally directed operatives to hack into Democratic operations to sway the election in favor of Donald Trump.
Burr’s plan was laid out in a bullet-point agenda, saying that it would review the “all-source intelligence that informed its assessments, including but not limited to the October 7 statement.” In addition, it will review “the cyber activity directed against our nation by the Russian Government, both as it regards the 2016 Election and more broadly,” along with holding “hearings examining other specific aspects of Russian behavior” and interview “senior officials of both the outgoing and incoming administrations including the issuance of subpoenas if necessary to compel testimony.”
“Majority Leader McConnell and incoming Minority Leader [Charles] Schumer have made it clear they expect any review of Russia’s involvement in our nation’s elections to be conducted in a bipartisan manner,” Burr said.
Burr defended the intelligence community against Trump supporters, who accuse them of fear-mongering about Russia.
“Without exception, I know them to be hard-working, patriotic Americans,” he said.
“Unlike many in Washington, though, they check politics at the office door and focus on their mission.”
[The Hill] Featured image: Gage Skidmore
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