Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections

{{For timeline|Timeline of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections}}

{{See also|Anti-American sentiment in Russia|Cold War II|Russia–United States relations#Obama administration (2009–2017)}}

Prior to its demise in 1991, the government of the Soviet Union had interfered in United States elections, including the elections of 1960 and 1984. Conversely, there was American influence in the Russian election of 1996. Thus, the Russian influence operation in 2016 was not entirely without precedent, though its techniques and scope were different.

The May 2014 Ukrainian presidential election was disrupted by cyberattacks over several days, including the release of hacked emails, attempted alteration of vote tallies, and distributed denial-of-service attacks to delay the final result. They were found to have been launched by pro-Russian hackers.{{cite web|last=Clayton|first=Mark|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Passcode/2014/0617/Ukraine-election-narrowly-avoided-wanton-destruction-from-hackers|title=Ukraine election narrowly avoided 'wanton destruction' from hackers|website=The Christian Science Monitor|date=June 17, 2014|access-date=August 16, 2017|archive-date=October 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013043238/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Passcode/2014/0617/Ukraine-election-narrowly-avoided-wanton-destruction-from-hackers|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Watkins|first=Ali|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/14/obama-russia-election-interference-241547|title=Obama team was warned in 2014 about Russian interference|website=Politico|date=August 14, 2017|access-date=August 16, 2017|archive-date=October 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006071815/https://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/14/obama-russia-election-interference-241547|url-status=live}} Malware that would have displayed a graphic declaring far-right candidate Dmytro Yarosh the electoral winner was removed from Ukraine's Central Election Commission less than an hour before polls closed. Despite this, Channel One Russia falsely reported that Yarosh had won, broadcasting the same fake graphic that had been planted on the election commission's website.{{cite news|last1=Kramer|first1=Andrew E.|last2=Higgins|first2=Andrew|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/16/world/europe/russia-ukraine-malware-hacking-witness.html|title=In Ukraine, a Malware Expert Who Could Blow the Whistle on Russian Hacking|website=The New York Times|date=August 16, 2017|access-date=August 16, 2017|archive-date=October 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025114643/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/16/world/europe/russia-ukraine-malware-hacking-witness.html|url-status=live}} Political scientist Peter Ordeshook said in 2017, "These faked results were geared for a specific audience in order to feed the Russian narrative that has claimed from the start that ultra-nationalists and Nazis were behind the revolution in Ukraine." The same Sofacy malware used in the Central Election Commission hack was later found on the servers of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Around the same time as Russia's attempt to hack the 2014 elections, the Obama administration received a report suggesting that the Kremlin was building a disinformation program which could be used to interfere in Western politics.

File:Владимир Путин (18-06-2023) (cropped).jpg personally ordered the covert operation, code named Project Lakhta, while Putin denied the allegations. At the 2018 Helsinki summit, Putin said that he wanted Trump to win because he talked about normalizing the U.S.–Russia relationship.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/07/16/trump-dismissed-the-idea-that-putin-wanted-him-to-win-putin-just-admitted-that-he-did/ |title=Trump dismissed the idea that Putin wanted him to win. Putin just admitted that he did. |newspaper=The Washington Post |first=Eugene |last=Scott |date=July 16, 2018 |access-date=August 16, 2018 |archive-date=October 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008150552/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/07/16/trump-dismissed-the-idea-that-putin-wanted-him-to-win-putin-just-admitted-that-he-did/ |url-status=live}}]]

In December 2016, two unidentified senior intelligence officials told several U.S. news media outlets{{refn|group="Note"|Similar reports were published by ABC News,{{cite news |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/officials-master-spy-vladimir-putin-now-directly-linked/story?id=44210901 |title=Officials: Master Spy Vladimir Putin Now Directly Linked to US Hacking |first1=Brian |last1=Ross |first2=Rhonda |last2=Schwartz |first3=James Gordon |last3=Meek |date=December 15, 2016 |access-date=December 15, 2016 |archive-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025114732/https://abcnews.go.com/International/officials-master-spy-vladimir-putin-now-directly-linked/story?id=44210901 |url-status=live}} CBS News,{{cite AV media |date=December 14, 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psEGXYu4yoo | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/psEGXYu4yoo| archive-date=2021-11-02 | url-status=live|title=More details on U.S. probe of Russian hacking of DNC |first=Jeff |last=Pegues |author-link=Jeff Pegues |publisher=CBS News |via=YouTube |access-date=December 15, 2016}}{{cbignore}} NBC News,{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-officials-putin-personally-involved-u-s-election-hack-n696146 |work=NBC News |title=U.S. Officials: Putin Personally Involved in U.S. Election Hack |first1=William M. |last1=Arkin |first2=Ken |last2=Dilanian |first3=Cynthia |last3=McFadden |author3-link=Cynthia McFadden |date=December 14, 2016 |access-date=December 14, 2016 |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021055153/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-officials-putin-personally-involved-u-s-election-hack-n696146 |url-status=live}} and Reuters.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-cyber-idUSKBN1441RS |work=Reuters |date=December 15, 2016 |title=Putin turned Russia election hacks in Trump's favor: U.S. officials |access-date=December 16, 2016 |archive-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025114902/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-cyber-idUSKBN1441RS |url-status=live}}}}

that they were highly confident that the operation to interfere in the 2016 presidential election was personally directed by Vladimir Putin.

Under Putin's direction, the goals of the operation are reported to have evolved from first undermining American trust in their own democracy to undermining Clinton's campaign, and by the fall of 2016 to directly helping Trump's campaign, possibly because Putin believed Trump would ease economic sanctions.{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2019/01/battlefield-washington-trump-russia-connections-190116075717758.html|title=Battlefield Washington: Trump's Russia Connections|website=Aljazeera.com|access-date=March 1, 2019|archive-date=August 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200826050607/https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2019/01/battlefield-washington-trump-russia-connections-190116075717758.html|url-status=dead}} Her presidential campaign's Russia policy advisor was Richard Lourie.

The officials believe Putin became personally involved after Russia accessed the DNC computers, because such an operation would require high-level government approval.{{cite news |publisher=CNN |date=December 15, 2016 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/15/politics/russian-hacking-vladimir-putin-donald-trump/ |title=Intel analysis shows Putin approved election hacking |first1=Barbara |last1=Starr |author2-link=Pamela Brown (journalist) |first2=Pamela |last2=Brown |first3=Evan |last3=Perez |author4-link=Jim Sciutto |first4=Jim |last4=Sciutto |first5=Elise |last5=Labott |access-date=December 15, 2016 |archive-date=June 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623032710/https://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/15/politics/russian-hacking-vladimir-putin-donald-trump/ |url-status=live}} White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-says-us-needs-to-respond-to-russian-cyberattacks-and-we-will|publisher=Fox News|date=December 15, 2016|title=White House suggests Putin involved in hacking, ups Trump criticism|agency=Associated Press|access-date=December 15, 2016|archive-date=July 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730071347/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/12/15/white-house-says-trump-obviously-knew-about-russian-hacking-suggets-putin-was-involved.html|url-status=live}} and Obama foreign policy advisor and speechwriter Ben Rhodes agreed with this assessment, with Rhodes saying operations of this magnitude required Putin's consent.

In January 2017, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence,{{cite press release|title=ODNI Statement on Declassified Intelligence Community Assessment of Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S. Elections|url=https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/224-press-releases-2017/1466-odni-statement-on-declassified-intelligence-community-assessment-of-russian-activities-and-intentions-in-recent-u-s-elections#|date=January 6, 2017|publisher=Office of the Director of National Intelligence|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170413224426/https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/224-press-releases-2017/1466-odni-statement-on-declassified-intelligence-community-assessment-of-russian-activities-and-intentions-in-recent-u-s-elections|archive-date=April 13, 2017|access-date=May 9, 2017|url-status=dead}} delivered a declassified report, (representing the work of the FBI, the CIA and the NSA) with a similar conclusion:

President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election. Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for president-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments.{{cite report |author=ODNI |title=Background to 'Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections': The Analytic Process and Cyber Incident Attribution |url=https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/ICA_2017_01.pdf |date=January 6, 2017 |publisher=Office of the Director of National Intelligence |access-date=April 1, 2018}}{{rp|7}}

Putin blamed Clinton for the 2011–2012 mass protests in Russia against his rule, according to the report{{rp|11}} (Clinton was U.S. Secretary of State at the time).{{cite news|last=Englund|first=Will|title=The roots of the hostility between Putin and Clinton|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/the-roots-of-the-hostility-between-putin-and-clinton/2016/07/28/85ca74ca-5402-11e6-b652-315ae5d4d4dd_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 28, 2016|access-date=July 29, 2016|archive-date=October 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025114952/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/the-roots-of-the-hostility-between-putin-and-clinton/2016/07/28/85ca74ca-5402-11e6-b652-315ae5d4d4dd_story.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/world/the-top-four-reasons-vladimir-putin-might-have-a-grudge-against-hillary-clinton |first=Tom |last=Blackwell |title=The top four reasons Vladimir Putin might have a grudge against Hillary Clinton |work=National Post |date=December 16, 2016 |access-date=January 18, 2024 |archive-date=September 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240908222058/https://nationalpost.com/news/world/the-top-four-reasons-vladimir-putin-might-have-a-grudge-against-hillary-clinton |url-status=live}} FBI Director James Comey also has testified that Putin disliked Clinton and preferred her opponent,{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-factbox-idUSKBN16R229|work=Reuters|title=Key quotes from Congress' hearing on Russia and the U.S. election|date=March 20, 2017|access-date=July 2, 2017|archive-date=August 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805233717/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-factbox-idUSKBN16R229|url-status=live}} and Clinton herself has accused Putin of having a grudge against her. Michael McFaul, who was U.S. ambassador to Russia, said the operation could be a retaliation by Putin against Clinton.{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/clinton-putin-226153 |title=Why Putin Hates Hillary |work=Politico |date=July 26, 2016 |access-date=January 7, 2017 |archive-date=January 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108001740/http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/clinton-putin-226153 |url-status=live}} Russian security expert Andrei Soldatov has said, "[The Kremlin] believes that with Clinton in the White House it will be almost impossible to lift sanctions against Russia. So it is a very important question for Putin personally. This is a question of national security."{{Cite news |url=http://www.dw.com/en/pro-kremlin-youth-groups-could-be-behind-dnc-hack/a-19430216 |title='Pro-Kremlin youth groups' could be behind DNC hack |date=July 27, 2016 |work=Deutsche Welle |access-date=January 7, 2017 |archive-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725232910/https://www.dw.com/en/pro-kremlin-youth-groups-could-be-behind-dnc-hack/a-19430216 |url-status=live}}

Russian officials have denied the allegations multiple times. In June 2016, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any connection of Russia to the DNC hacks. In December 2016, when U.S. intelligence officials publicly accused Putin of being directly involved in the covert operation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he was "astonished" by this "nonsense".

Putin also has denied any Kremlin involvement in the election campaign, though in June 2017 he told journalists that "patriotically minded" Russian hackers may have been responsible for the campaign cyberattacks against the U.S., and in 2018 he stated that he had wanted Trump to win the election "because he talked about bringing the U.S.-Russia relationship back to normal."{{cite news |last1=Murray |first1=Stephanie |title=Putin: I wanted Trump to win the election |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/16/putin-trump-win-election-2016-722486 |access-date=January 24, 2019 |agency=Politico |date=July 16, 2018 |archive-date=October 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009031935/https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/16/putin-trump-win-election-2016-722486 |url-status=live}}

The United States Department of State planned to use a unit formed with the intention of combating disinformation from the Russian government, but it was disbanded in September 2015 after department heads missed the scope of propaganda before the 2016 U.S. election.{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/how-us-eu-failings-allowed-kremlin-propaganda-fake-news-spread-through-west-1593071|newspaper=International Business Times|title=How US and EU failings allowed Kremlin propaganda and fake news to spread through the West|first=Tom|last=Porter|date=November 28, 2016|access-date=November 29, 2016|archive-date=May 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520011054/https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/how-us-eu-failings-allowed-kremlin-propaganda-fake-news-spread-through-west-1593071|url-status=live}} The unit had been in development for eight months prior to being scrapped. Titled the Counter-Disinformation Team, it would have been a reboot of the Active Measures Working Group set up by the Reagan Administration.{{cite news |url=http://observer.com/2015/11/obama-fails-to-fight-putins-propaganda-machine/ |work=New York Observer |title=Obama Fails to Fight Putin's Propaganda Machine |first=John R. |last=Schindler |date=November 5, 2015 |access-date=November 28, 2016 |archive-date=April 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426090314/https://observer.com/2015/11/obama-fails-to-fight-putins-propaganda-machine/ |url-status=live}} It was created under the Bureau of International Information Programs. Work began in 2014, with the intention of countering propaganda from Russian sources such as TV network RT (formerly called Russia Today). A beta website was ready, and staff were hired by the U.S. State Department for the unit prior to its cancellation. U.S. Intelligence officials explained to former National Security Agency analyst and counterintelligence officer John R. Schindler writing in The New York Observer (published at the time by Jared Kushner) that the Obama Administration decided to cancel the unit, as they were afraid of antagonizing Russia. A State Department representative told the International Business Times after being contacted regarding the closure of the unit, that the U.S. was disturbed by propaganda from Russia, and the strongest defense was sincere communication. U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Richard Stengel was the point person for the unit before it was canceled. Stengel had written in 2014 that RT was engaged in a disinformation campaign about Ukraine.{{cite web|first=Richard |last=Stengel |author-link=Richard Stengel |url=http://blogs.state.gov/stories/2014/04/29/russia-today-s-disinformation-campaign |title=Russia Today's Disinformation Campaign |publisher=United States Department of State |date=April 29, 2014 |access-date=November 28, 2016 |archive-date=May 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502031846/http://blogs.state.gov/stories/2014/04/29/russia-today-s-disinformation-campaign |url-status=dead}}

{{Further|Russian Institute for Strategic Studies}}

File:Особняк Морозовых на Смоленском бульваре.jpg began working for the Russian presidency after 2009.]]

In April 2017, Reuters cited several unnamed U.S. officials as having stated that the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISS) had developed a strategy to sway the U.S. election to Donald Trump and, failing that, to disillusion voters.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-election-exclusive-idUSKBN17L2N3 |title=Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 U.S. election documents |work=Reuters |last1=Parker |first1=Ned |last2=Landay |first2=Jonathan |last3=Walcott |first3=John |date=April 20, 2017 |access-date=April 20, 2017 |archive-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025115144/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-election-exclusive-idUSKBN17L2N3 |url-status=live}} The development of strategy was allegedly ordered by Putin and directed by former officers of Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), retired SVR general Leonid Petrovich Reshetnikov being head of the RISS at the time. The Institute had been a part of the SVR until 2009, whereafter it has worked for the Russian Presidential Administration.{{cite news |url=http://www.svoboda.org/a/28440991.html |language=ru |script-title=ru:Трамп и тайные документы Кремля |title=Trump and secret documents of the Kremlin |last1=Lagunina |first1=Irina |last2=Maternaya |first2=Elizabeth |date=April 20, 2017 |publisher=Radio Svoboda |access-date=April 22, 2017 |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226032300/https://www.svoboda.org/a/28440991.html |url-status=live}}

The U.S. officials said the propaganda efforts began in March 2016. The first set of recommendations, issued in June 2016, proposed that Russia support a candidate for U.S. president more favorable to Russia than Obama had been, via Russia-backed news outlets and a social media campaign. It supported Trump until October, when another conclusion was made that Hillary Clinton was likely to win, and the strategy should be modified to work to undermine U.S. voters′ faith in their electoral system and a Clinton presidency by alleging voter fraud in the election. RISS director Mikhail Fradkov and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the allegations.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-election-denial-idUSKBN17M191 |title=Russia denies Reuters report think tank drew up plan to sway U.S. election |work=Reuters |first1=Jack |last1=Stubbs |first2=Denis |last2=Pinchuk |editor-first=Larry |editor-last=King |date=April 21, 2017 |access-date=April 21, 2017 |archive-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025115229/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-election-denial-idUSKBN17M191 |url-status=live}}

According to a February 2018 criminal indictment,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/politics/russia-mueller-election.html|title=Inside a 3-Year Russian Campaign to Influence U.S. Voters|last1=Shane|first1=Scott|last2=Mazzetti|first2=Mark|date=February 16, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 17, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=February 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217032428/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/politics/russia-mueller-election.html|url-status=live}} more than two years before the election, two Russian women obtained visas for what the indictment alleged was a three-week reconnaissance tour of the United States, including battleground states such as Colorado, Michigan, Nevada and New Mexico, to gather intelligence on American politics. The 2018 indictment alleged that another Russian operative visited Atlanta in November 2014 on a similar mission. In order to establish American identities for individuals and groups within specific social media communities,{{cite magazine |last1=McKew |first1=Molly |title=DID RUSSIA AFFECT THE 2016 ELECTION? IT'S NOW UNDENIABLE |url=https://www.wired.com/story/did-russia-affect-the-2016-election-its-now-undeniable/ |access-date=January 10, 2019 |magazine=Wired|date=February 16, 2018}} hundreds of email, PayPal and bank accounts and fraudulent driver's licenses were created for fictitious Americans—and sometimes real Americans whose Social Security numbers had been stolen.

{{Further|Internet Research Agency}}

According to the special counsel investigation's Mueller Report (officially named "Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election"),{{cite web |last1=Fishel |first1=Justin |title=Fact Check Friday: The Mueller Edition |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fact-check-friday-mueller-edition/story?id=62507853 |work=ABC News |access-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193549/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fact-check-friday-mueller-edition/story?id=62507853 |url-status=live}} the first method of Russian interference used the Internet Research Agency (IRA), a Kremlin-linked troll farm, to wage "a social media campaign that favored presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and disparaged presidential candidate Hillary Clinton".{{cite news |title=Main points of Mueller report |url=https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/main-points-mueller-report-doc-1fr5vv1 |agency=Agence France-Presse |access-date=April 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420143436/https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/main-points-mueller-report-doc-1fr5vv1 |archive-date=April 20, 2019}} The Internet Research Agency also sought to "provoke and amplify political and social discord in the United States".{{cite news |date=April 18, 2019 |last1=Harris |first1=Shane |last2=Nakashima |first2=Ellen |last3=Timberg |first3=Craig |title=Through email leaks and propaganda, Russians sought to elect Trump, Mueller finds |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/through-email-leaks-and-propaganda-russians-sought-to-elect-trump-mueller-finds/2019/04/18/109ddf74-571b-11e9-814f-e2f46684196e_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 23, 2019 |archive-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023035034/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/through-email-leaks-and-propaganda-russians-sought-to-elect-trump-mueller-finds/2019/04/18/109ddf74-571b-11e9-814f-e2f46684196e_story.html |url-status=live}}

By February 2016, internal IRA documents showed an order to support the candidacies of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, while IRA members were to "use any opportunity to criticize" Hillary Clinton and the rest of the candidates.{{cite web |last1=Thomsen |first1=Jacqueline |title=Mueller: Russia sought to help Trump win but did not collude with campaign |url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/439544-mueller-russia-sought-to-help-trump-win-2016-election-but-did-not/ |website=The Hill |access-date=April 27, 2019|date=April 18, 2019}} From June 2016, the IRA organized election rallies in the U.S. "often promoting" Trump's campaign while "opposing" Clinton's campaign.{{cite web |last1=Lindstrom |first1=Natasha |title=Why Pittsburgh is mentioned in the Mueller report |url=https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/why-pittsburgh-is-mentioned-in-the-mueller-report/ |website=triblive.com |date=April 18, 2019 |access-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427030832/https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/why-pittsburgh-is-mentioned-in-the-mueller-report/ |url-status=live}} The IRA posed as Americans, hiding their Russian background, while asking Trump campaign members for campaign buttons, flyers, and posters for the rallies.

File:Mark Zuckerberg F8 2019 Keynote (32830578717) (cropped).jpg CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, "I think the idea that fake news on Facebook influenced the election in any way, I think is a pretty crazy idea."{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-fake-election-news-more-popular-than-real-news-buzzfeed-investigation/|title=Probe reveals stunning stats about fake election headlines on Facebook|date=November 17, 2016|publisher=CBS News: CBS Interactive|access-date=August 27, 2018|archive-date=September 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190919065143/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-fake-election-news-more-popular-than-real-news-buzzfeed-investigation/|url-status=live}}]]

Russian use of social media to disseminate propaganda content was very broad. Facebook and Twitter were used, but also Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Medium, YouTube, Vine, and Google+ (among other sites). Instagram was by far the most used platform, and one that largely remained out of the public eye until late 2018.{{cite news |last1=Ward |first1=Alex |title=4 main takeaways from new reports on Russia's 2016 election interference |url=https://www.vox.com/world/2018/12/17/18144523/russia-senate-report-african-american-ira-clinton-instagram |access-date=January 10, 2019 |publisher=Vox |date=December 17, 2018 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193556/https://www.vox.com/world/2018/12/17/18144523/russia-senate-report-african-american-ira-clinton-instagram |url-status=live}} The Mueller report lists IRA-created groups on Facebook including "purported conservative groups" (e.g. 'Tea Party News'), "purported Black social justice groups" (e.g. 'Blacktivist'), "LGBTQ groups" ('LGBT United'), and "religious groups" ('United Muslims of America').{{cite web |last1=Broderick |first1=Ryan |title=Here's Everything The Mueller Report Says About How Russian Trolls Used Social Media |date=April 18, 2019 |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/mueller-report-internet-research-agency-detailed-2016 |publisher=Buzzfeed News |access-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427191343/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/mueller-report-internet-research-agency-detailed-2016 |url-status=live}} The IRA Twitter accounts included @TEN_GOP (claiming to be related to the Tennessee Republican Party), @jenn_abrams and @Pamela_Moore13; both claimed to be Trump supporters and both had 70,000 followers.{{cite web |last1=Prohov |first1=Jennifer |title=Fake Tennessee GOP Twitter account cited as example in Mueller report |date=April 18, 2019 |url=https://www.wbir.com/article/news/state/fake-tennessee-gop-twitter-account-cited-as-example-in-mueller-report/51-989af24a-96e4-49de-a702-49b3aa728ff4 |publisher=WBIR |access-date=April 27, 2019}}

Several Trump campaign members (Donald J. Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Brad Parscale and Michael T. Flynn) linked or reposted material from the IRA's @TEN_GOP Twitter account listed above. Other people who responded to IRA social media accounts include Michael McFaul, Sean Hannity, Roger Stone and Michael Flynn Jr.{{cite web |last1=Kiely |first1=Eugene |last2=Robertson |first2=Lori |title=Kushner Distorts Scope of Russia Interference |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2019/04/kushner-distorts-scope-of-russia-interference/?platform=hootsuite |website=Factcheck.org |access-date=April 27, 2019 |date=April 24, 2019 |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806212634/https://www.factcheck.org/2019/04/kushner-distorts-scope-of-russia-interference/?platform=hootsuite |url-status=live}}

Advertisements bought by Russian operatives for the Facebook social media site are estimated to have reached 10 million users. But many more Facebook users were contacted by accounts created by Russian actors. 470 Facebook accounts are known to have been created by Russians during the 2016 campaign. Of those accounts six generated content that was shared at least 340 million times, according to research done by Jonathan Albright, research director for Columbia University's Tow Center for Digital Journalism.{{cite news |last1=Timberg |first1=Craig |title=Russian propaganda may have been shared hundreds of millions of times, new research says |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/10/05/russian-propaganda-may-have-been-shared-hundreds-of-millions-of-times-new-research-says/ |access-date=January 3, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 5, 2017 |archive-date=January 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102200218/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/10/05/russian-propaganda-may-have-been-shared-hundreds-of-millions-of-times-new-research-says/ |url-status=live}} The most strident Internet promoters of Trump were paid Russian propagandists/trolls, who were estimated by The Guardian to number several thousand.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/nov/06/troll-armies-social-media-trump-russian |date=November 6, 2016 |work=The Guardian |title=Invasion of the troll armies: from Russian Trump supporters to Turkish state stooges |first=Leo |last=Benedictus |access-date=December 2, 2016 |archive-date=May 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20170510163211/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/nov/06/troll-armies-social-media-trump-russian |url-status=live}} (By 2017 the U.S. news media was focusing on the Russian operations on Facebook and Twitter and Russian operatives moved on to Instagram.) The Mueller Report found the IRA spent $100,000 for more than 3,500 Facebook advertisements from June 2015 to May 2017,{{cite magazine |title=Facebook Says Russian Accounts Bought $100,000 in Ads During the 2016 Election |url=https://time.com/4930532/facebook-russian-accounts-2016-election/ |magazine=Time |date=September 6, 2017 |access-date=July 10, 2019 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193837/https://time.com/4930532/facebook-russian-accounts-2016-election/ |url-status=live}} which included anti-Clinton and pro-Trump advertisements. In comparison, Clinton and Trump campaigns spent $81 million on Facebook ads, but the IRA "likely was able to squeeze more impressions and engagment out of each dollar of spend than Trump and Clinton’s ads".{{cite news |title=Trump and Clinton spent $81M on US election Facebook ads, Russian agency $46K |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/01/russian-facebook-ad-spend/ |work=TechCrunch |date=November 1, 2017 | quote=[Update: However, since the IRA was using incendiary, divisive, eye-drawing content about polarizing issues, it likely was able to squeeze more impressions and engagment out of each dollar of spend than Trump and Clinton’s ads driving awareness for the candidates That’s because Facebook’s ad auction system preferences engaging ads by providing lower rates. By focusing on hot-button issues and playing into people’s biases, the IRA’s ads got widely re-shared for free by viewers.]}}

Fabricated articles and disinformation{{cite news|title=Trolls for Trump—How Russia Dominates Your Twitter Feed to Promote Lies (And, Trump, Too)|date=August 6, 2016|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/06/how-russia-dominates-your-twitter-feed-to-promote-lies-and-trump-too.html|author1=Weisburd, Andrew|author2=Watts, Clint|author2-link=Clint Watts|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=November 24, 2016|archive-date=November 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125174205/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/06/how-russia-dominates-your-twitter-feed-to-promote-lies-and-trump-too.html|url-status=live}} were spread from Russian government-controlled outlets, RT and Sputnik to be popularized on pro-Russian accounts on Twitter and other social media. Researchers have compared Russian tactics during the 2016 U.S. election to the "active measures" of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but made easier by the use of social media.{{cite news |first1=Ali |last1=Watkins |first2=Sheera |last2=Frenkel |publisher=BuzzFeed News |date=November 30, 2016 |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/alimwatkins/intel-officials-believe-russia-spreads-fake-news |title=Intel Officials Believe Russia Spreads Fake News |access-date=December 1, 2016 |archive-date=October 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019233231/https://www.buzzfeed.com/alimwatkins/intel-officials-believe-russia-spreads-fake-news |url-status=live}}

Monitoring 7,000 pro-Trump social media accounts over a {{frac|2|1|2}}-year period, researchers J.M. Berger, Andrew Weisburd and Clint Watts{{cite news |publisher=War on the Rocks |url=http://warontherocks.com/2016/11/trolling-for-trump-how-russia-is-trying-to-destroy-our-democracy/ |title=Trolling for Trump: How Russia is Trying to Destroy Our Democracy |first1=Andrew |last1=Weisburd |first2=Clint |last2=Watts |author2-link=Clint Watts |first3=J.M. |last3=Berger |author-link3=J.M. Berger |date=November 6, 2016 |access-date=December 6, 2016 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914070747/https://warontherocks.com/2016/11/trolling-for-trump-how-russia-is-trying-to-destroy-our-democracy/ |url-status=live}} found the accounts denigrated critics of Russian activities in Syria and propagated falsehoods about Clinton's health.{{cite news |url=http://www.witn.com/content/news/-US-officials-defend-integrity-of-vote-despite-hacking-fears--403109766.html |publisher=WITN-TV |title=U.S. officials defend integrity of vote, despite hacking fears |date=November 26, 2016 |access-date=December 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226233524/https://www.witn.com/content/news/-US-officials-defend-integrity-of-vote-despite-hacking-fears--403109766.html |url-status=live}} Watts found Russian propaganda to be aimed at fomenting "dissent or conspiracies against the U.S. government and its institutions",{{cite news |publisher=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/02/politics/russia-fake-news-reality/ |title=The reality behind Russia's fake news |date=December 2, 2016 |first=Jill |last=Dougherty |access-date=December 2, 2016 |archive-date=September 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916123626/https://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/02/politics/russia-fake-news-reality/ |url-status=live}} and by autumn of 2016 amplifying attacks on Clinton and support for Trump, via social media, Internet trolls, botnets, and websites.

File:55 Savushkina Street.jpg in Saint Petersburg, Russia]]

{{Wikisource|Internet Research Agency Indictment}}

Monitoring news on Twitter directed at one state (Michigan) prior to the election, Philip N. Howard found about half of it fabricated or untrue; the other half came from real news sources.{{cite news|title=Facebook could tell us how Russia interfered in our elections. Why won't it?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/facebook-could-tell-us-how-russia-interfered-in-our-elections-why-wont-it/2017/05/19/c061a606-3b21-11e7-8854-21f359183e8c_story.html|date=May 20, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|last1=Howard|first1=Philip N.|last2=Gorwa|first2=Robert|access-date=June 9, 2017|archive-date=May 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523023533/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/facebook-could-tell-us-how-russia-interfered-in-our-elections-why-wont-it/2017/05/19/c061a606-3b21-11e7-8854-21f359183e8c_story.html|url-status=live}} In continued analysis after the election, Howard and other researchers found the most prominent methods of misinformation were ostensibly "organic posting, not advertisements", and influence operation activity increased after the 2016 and was not limited to the election.{{Cite journal|last1=Howard|first1=Philip|last2=Ganesh|first2=Bharath|last3=Liotsiou|first3=Dimitra|last4=Kelly|first4=John|last5=François|first5=Camille|date=2019-10-01|title=The IRA, Social Media and Political Polarization in the United States, 2012-2018|url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/senatedocs/1|journal=U.S. Senate Documents|access-date=September 15, 2021|archive-date=November 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127024351/https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/senatedocs/1/|url-status=live}}

Facebook originally denied that fake news on their platform had influenced the election and had insisted it was unaware of any Russian-financed advertisements but later admitted that about 126 million Americans may have seen posts published by Russia-based operatives.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-socialmedia/facebook-says-126-million-americans-may-have-seen-russia-linked-political-posts-idUSKBN1CZ2OI|title=Facebook says 126 million Americans may have seen Russia-linked political posts|date=October 31, 2017|work=Reuters|access-date=November 14, 2017|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193611/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-socialmedia/facebook-says-126-million-americans-may-have-seen-russia-linked-political-posts-idUSKBN1CZ2OI|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/07/facebook-backlash-russian-meddling-242463|title=Facebook faces backlash over Russian meddling|last=Samuelsohn|first=Darren|date=September 7, 2017|work=Politico|access-date=September 7, 2017|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193830/https://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/07/facebook-backlash-russian-meddling-242463|url-status=live}} Criticized for failing to stop fake news from spreading on its platform during the 2016 election,{{cite news|title=Facebook's Fake Accountability|author=Salzman, Ari|date=June 7, 2017|url=http://www.barrons.com/articles/facebooks-fake-accountability-1496861464|magazine=Barron's|access-date=June 10, 2017|archive-date=June 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609032305/http://www.barrons.com/articles/facebooks-fake-accountability-1496861464|url-status=live}} Facebook originally thought that the fake-news problem could be solved by engineering, but in May 2017 it announced plans to hire 3,000 content reviewers.{{cite news|title=Facebook, Tesla Realize Technology Can't Solve Everything|author=Salzman, Ari|date=May 5, 2017|url=http://www.barrons.com/articles/facebook-tesla-realize-technology-cant-solve-everything-1494018925|access-date=June 10, 2017|magazine=Barron's|archive-date=May 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510122836/http://www.barrons.com/articles/facebook-tesla-realize-technology-cant-solve-everything-1494018925|url-status=live}}{{failed verification|date=January 2019}}

According to an analysis by BuzzFeed News, the "20 top-performing false election stories from hoax sites and hyperpartisan blogs generated 8,711,000 shares, reactions, and comments on Facebook."{{Cite web |last=Silverman |first=Craig |date=November 17, 2016 |title=This Analysis Shows How Viral Fake Election News Stories Outperformed Real News On Facebook |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/viral-fake-election-news-outperformed-real-news-on-facebook |access-date=2022-10-26 |website=BuzzFeed News |language=en |archive-date=July 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717155014/https://www.buzzfeed.com/craigsilverman/viral-fake-election-news-outperformed-real-news-on-facebook |url-status=live}}

In September 2017, Facebook told congressional investigators it had discovered that hundreds of fake accounts linked to a Russian troll farm had bought $100,000 in advertisements targeting the 2016 U.S. election audience.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/technology/facebook-russian-political-ads.html|title=Fake Russian Facebook Accounts Bought $100,000 in Political Ads|last1=Goel|first1=Vindu|date=September 6, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 6, 2017|last2=Shane|first2=Scott|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=September 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906215734/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/technology/facebook-russian-political-ads.html|url-status=live}} The ads, which ran between June 2015 and May 2017, primarily focused on divisive social issues; roughly 25% were geographically targeted.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/facebook-says-it-sold-political-ads-to-russian-company-during-2016-election/2017/09/06/32f01fd2-931e-11e7-89fa-bb822a46da5b_story.html|title=Facebook says it sold political ads to Russian company during 2016 election|last1=Leonnig|first1=Carol|last2=Hamburger|first2=Tom|last3=Helderman|first3=and Rosalind|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=September 6, 2017|archive-date=September 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906233451/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/facebook-says-it-sold-political-ads-to-russian-company-during-2016-election/2017/09/06/32f01fd2-931e-11e7-89fa-bb822a46da5b_story.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/04/senate-intelligence-committee-russia-election-interference |title=Top Senate intelligence duo: Russia did interfere in 2016 election |first=Julian |last=Borger |date= October 4, 2017 |website=The Guardian |access-date=October 18, 2017}} Facebook has also turned over information about the Russian-related ad buys to Special Counsel Robert Mueller.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-propaganda-mueller/facebook-gives-election-ad-data-to-u-s-special-counsel-source-idUSKCN1BI03V|title=Facebook gives election ad data to U.S. special counsel: source|date=September 7, 2017|work=Reuters|access-date=September 7, 2017|archive-date=September 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907041047/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-propaganda-mueller/facebook-gives-election-ad-data-to-u-s-special-counsel-source-idUSKCN1BI03V|url-status=live}} Approximately 3,000 adverts were involved, and these were viewed by between four and five million Facebook users prior to the election.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/02/facebook-says-up-to-10m-people-saw-ads-bought-by-russian-agency|title=Facebook says up to 10 m people saw ads bought by Russian agency|first=Lauren|last=Gambino|date=October 3, 2017|website=The Guardian}} On November 1, 2017, the House Intelligence Committee released a sample of Facebook ads and pages that had been financially linked to the Internet Research Agency.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/01/us/politics/russia-2016-election-facebook.html|title=These Are the Ads Russia Bought on Facebook in 2016|work=The New York Times|date=November 2017|access-date=November 3, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last1=Shane|first1=Scott|archive-date=November 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103001505/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/01/us/politics/russia-2016-election-facebook.html|url-status=live}} A 2019 analysis by The Washington Post's "Outlook" reviewed a number of troll accounts active in 2016 and 2018, and found that many resembled organic users. Rather than wholly negative and obvious, many confirmed troll accounts deployed humor and were "astute in exploiting questions of culture and identity and are frequently among the first to push new divisive conversations", some of which moved quickly to mainstream print media.{{Cite news|title=Perspective {{!}} Russian trolls can be surprisingly subtle, and often fun to read|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/russian-trolls-can-be-surprisingly-subtle-and-often-fun-to-read/2019/03/08/677f8ec2-413c-11e9-9361-301ffb5bd5e6_story.html|access-date=2021-09-15|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=October 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002205430/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/russian-trolls-can-be-surprisingly-subtle-and-often-fun-to-read/2019/03/08/677f8ec2-413c-11e9-9361-301ffb5bd5e6_story.html|url-status=live}}

In January 2023, a study from New York University's Center for Social Media and Politics about the influence of Russian trolls on Twitter found they had little influence on 2016 voters' attitudes, polarization, or voting behavior. The study was limited to Twitter and did not examine other social media, such as the much larger Facebook. It did not address the Russian hack-and-leak operations: "Another major study in 2018 by University of Pennsylvania communications professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson suggested those probably played a significant role in the 2016 race's outcome. Lastly, it doesn't suggest that foreign influence operations aren't a threat at all." It found that voters who were already favorably disposed to Trump were exposed the most. "Only 1 percent of Twitter users accounted for 70 percent of the exposure to accounts that Twitter identified as Russian troll accounts. Highly partisan Republicans were exposed to nine times more posts than non-Republicans."{{cite journal |doi=10.1038/s41467-022-35576-9 |title=Exposure to the Russian Internet Research Agency foreign influence campaign on Twitter in the 2016 US election and its relationship to attitudes and voting behavior |last=Eady |first=Gregory |date=January 9, 2023 |journal=Nature Communications |volume=14 |issue=1 |page=62 |pmid=36624094 |pmc=9829855 |bibcode=2023NatCo..14...62E | issn=2041-1723}}

File:Hillary Clinton 2016 DNC Speech.webm

According to the Mueller Report, the second method of Russian interference saw the Russian intelligence service, the GRU, hacking into email accounts owned by volunteers and employees of the Clinton presidential campaign, including that of campaign chairman John Podesta, and also hacking into "the computer networks of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC)". As a result, the GRU obtained hundreds of thousands of hacked documents, and the GRU proceeded by arranging releases of damaging hacked material via the WikiLeaks organization and also GRU's personas "DCLeaks" and "Guccifer 2.0".{{cite web |last1=Mackey |first1=Robert |last2=Risen |first2=James |last3=Aaronson |first3=Trevor |title=Annotating special counsel Robert Mueller's redacted report |date=April 18, 2019 |url=https://theintercept.com/2019/04/18/annotating-special-counsel-robert-muellers-redacted-report/ |work=The Intercept |access-date=April 23, 2019 |archive-date=April 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423032150/https://theintercept.com/2019/04/18/annotating-special-counsel-robert-muellers-redacted-report/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Dunleavy |first1=Jerry |date=April 18, 2019 |title=Mueller says Russia's GRU stole Clinton, DNC emails and gave them to WikiLeaks |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mueller-says-russias-gru-stole-clinton-dnc-emails-and-gave-them-to-wikileaks |work=Washington Examiner |access-date=April 23, 2019 |archive-date=April 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423032206/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mueller-says-russias-gru-stole-clinton-dnc-emails-and-gave-them-to-wikileaks |url-status=live}}[https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf Mueller Report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419072437/https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf |date=April 19, 2019}}, vol. I, p. 4: "At the same time that the IRA operation began to focus on supporting candidate Trump in early 2016, the Russian government employed a second form of interference: cyber intrusions (hacking) and releases of hacked materials damaging to the Clinton Campaign. The Russian intelligence service known as the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Army (GRU) carried out these operations. In March 2016, the GRU began hacking the email accounts of Clinton Campaign volunteers and employees, including campaign chairman John Podesta. In April 2016, the GRU hacked into the computer networks of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The GRU stole hundreds of thousands of documents from the compromised email accounts and networks. Around the time that the DNC announced in mid-June 2016 the Russian government's role in hacking its network, the GRU began disseminating stolen materials through the fictitious online personas 'DCLeaks' and 'Guccifer 2.0'. The GRU later released additional materials through the organization WikiLeaks."

Starting in March 2016, the Russian military intelligence agency GRU sent "spearphishing" emails targeted more than 300 individuals affiliated with the Democratic Party or the Clinton campaign, according to the Special Counsel's July 13, 2018 Indictment. Using malware to explore the computer networks of the DNC and DCCC,{{cite news |last1=Meyer |first1=Josh |last2=Moe |first2=Alex |last3=Connor |first3=Tracy |title=Hack of Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee 'Similar' to DNC Breach |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hack-democratic-congressional-campaign-committee-tied-earlier-breach-n619786 |access-date=January 18, 2019 |agency=NBC News |date=July 29, 2016}} they harvested tens of thousands of emails and attachments and deleted computer logs and files to obscure evidence of their activities.{{cite web |last1=Brewington |first1=Autumn |last2=Fogel |first2=Mikhaila |last3=Hennessey |first3=Susan |last4=Kahn |first4=Matthew |last5=Kelley |first5=Katherine |title=Russia Indictment 2.0: What to Make of Mueller's Hacking Indictment |url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/russia-indictment-20-what-make-muellers-hacking-indictment |website=lawfare |access-date=January 10, 2019 |date=July 13, 2018 |archive-date=September 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906145840/https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/russia-indictment-20-what-make-muellers-hacking-indictment |url-status=live}}

These were saved and released in stages to the public during the three months before the 2016 election. Some were released strategically to distract the public from media events that were either beneficial to the Clinton campaign or harmful to Trump's.

The first tranche of 19,000 emails and 8,000 attachments was released on July 22, 2016, three days before the Democratic convention. The resulting news coverage created the impression that the Democratic National Committee was biased against Clinton's Democratic primary challenger Bernie Sanders (who received 43% of votes cast in the Democratic presidential primaries) and forced DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign, disrupting the plans of the Clinton campaign.

A second tranche was released on October 7, a few hours after the Obama Administration released a statement by the Department of Homeland Security and the director of National Intelligence accusing the Russian government of interfering in the election through hacking, and just 29 minutes after The Washington Post reported on the Access Hollywood videotape where Trump boasted about grabbing women "by the pussy". The stolen documents effectively distracted media and voter attention from both stories.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37639370 |title=18 revelations from Wikileaks' hacked Clinton emails |work=BBC News |date=October 27, 2016 |access-date=18 January 2024 |archive-date=July 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719130532/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37639370 |url-status=live}}

Stolen emails and documents were given both to platforms created by hackers—a website called DCLeaks and a persona called Guccifer 2.0 claiming to be a lone hacker—and to an unidentified organization believed to be WikiLeaks.{{cite news |last1=Matishak |first1=Martin |title=What we know about Russia's election hacking |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/18/russia-election-hacking-trump-putin-698087 |access-date=January 10, 2019 |work=Politico|date=July 18, 2018}} (The Russians registered the domain dcleaks.com, using principally Bitcoin to pay for the domain and the hosting.){{cite news |last1=Popper |first1=Nathaniel |title=How Russian Spies Hid Behind Bitcoin in Hacking Campaign |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/13/technology/bitcoin-russian-hacking.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=b-lede-package-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news |access-date=July 14, 2018 |work=The New York Times |date=July 13, 2018 |archive-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714110954/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/13/technology/bitcoin-russian-hacking.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=b-lede-package-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news |url-status=live}}

{{Putin sidebar}}

{{Main|Podesta emails}}

John Podesta, Chairman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, received a phishing email on March 19, 2016, sent by Russian operatives purporting to alert him of a "compromise in the system", and urging him to change his password "immediately" by clicking on a link.{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/27/politics/russia-dnc-hacking-csr/index.html|title=How one typo let Russian hackers in|last=Sciutto|first=Jim|date=June 28, 2017|access-date=January 25, 2019|archive-date=February 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207194257/https://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/27/politics/russia-dnc-hacking-csr/index.html|url-status=live}} This allowed Russian hackers to access around 60,000 emails from Podesta's private account.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/14/dnc-hillary-clinton-emails-hacked-russia-aide-typo-investigation-finds|title=Top Democrat's emails hacked by Russia after aide made typo, investigation finds|last=Harding|first=Luke|date=December 14, 2016|access-date=November 3, 2017|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193612/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/14/dnc-hillary-clinton-emails-hacked-russia-aide-typo-investigation-finds|url-status=live}}

John Podesta, later told Meet the Press that the FBI spoke to him only once regarding his hacked emails and that he had not been sure what had been taken until a month before the election on October{{nbsp}}7 "when [WikiLeaks' Julian] Assange{{nbsp}}... started dumping them out and said they would all dump out, that's when I knew that they had the contents of my email account."{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/john-podesta-fbi-spoke-me-only-once-about-my-hacked-n697511|title=John Podesta: FBI Spoke to Me Only Once About My Hacked Emails|last=Johnstone|first=Liz|date=December 18, 2016|access-date=January 25, 2019|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193810/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/john-podesta-fbi-spoke-me-only-once-about-my-hacked-n697511|url-status=live}}

The WikiLeaks October 7 dump started less than an hour after The Washington Post released the Donald Trump and Billy Bush recording Access Hollywood tape, WikiLeaks announced on Twitter that it was in possession of 50,000 of Podesta's emails, and a few hours after the Obama Administration released a statement by the Department of Homeland Security and the director of National Intelligence stating "The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations."{{cite web |title=Joint Statement from the Department Of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security |url=http://www.p2016.org/chrneday/dhs100716pr.html |website=p2016 |publisher=Department Of Homeland Security |access-date=January 27, 2019}}

It initially released 2,050 of these.{{cite news|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/dec/18/john-podesta/its-true-wikileaks-dumped-podesta-emails-hour-afte/|title=It's True: WikiLeaks dumped Podesta emails hour after Trump video surfaced|last=Sharockman|first=Aaron|date=December 18, 2016|access-date=November 3, 2017|archive-date=November 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102043246/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/dec/18/john-podesta/its-true-wikileaks-dumped-podesta-emails-hour-afte/|url-status=live}}

The cache included emails containing transcripts of Clinton's paid speeches to Wall Street banks, controversial comments from staffers about Catholic voters, infighting among employees of the Clinton campaign, as well as potential vice-presidential picks for Clinton.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37639370|title=18 revelations from WikiLeaks' hacked Clinton emails|agency=Reuters|date=October 27, 2017|access-date=November 3, 2017|archive-date=July 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719130532/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37639370|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/07/politics/one-year-access-hollywood-russia-podesta-email/index.html|title=Access Hollywood, Russian hacking and the Podesta emails: One year later|last=Cohen|first=Marshall|date=October 7, 2017|access-date=November 3, 2017|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193619/https://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/07/politics/one-year-access-hollywood-russia-podesta-email/index.html|url-status=live}} The Clinton campaign did not confirm or deny the authenticity of the emails but emphasized they were stolen and distributed by parties hostile to Clinton and that "top national security officials" had stated "that documents can be faked as part of a sophisticated Russian misinformation campaign."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/07/wikileaks-hillary-clinton-paid-wall-street-speeches|title=WikiLeaks releases what appear to be Clinton's paid Wall Street speeches|last=Smith|first=David|date=October 8, 2016|access-date=November 3, 2017|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193814/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/07/wikileaks-hillary-clinton-paid-wall-street-speeches|url-status=live}}

Podesta's e-mails, once released by WikiLeaks, formed the basis for Pizzagate, a debunked conspiracy theory that falsely posited that Podesta and other Democratic Party officials were involved in a child trafficking ring based out of pizzerias in Washington, D.C.{{cite news |last2=Huang |first1=Gregor |last1=Aisch |first2=Jon |last3=Kang |first3=Cecilia |title=Dissecting the #PizzaGate Conspiracy Theories |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/10/business/media/pizzagate.html |work=The New York Times |date=December 10, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210112745/http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/10/business/media/pizzagate.html |archive-date=December 10, 2016}}{{cite magazine |last1=Samuelson |first1=Kate |title=What to Know About Pizzagate, the Fake News Story With Real Consequences |url=https://time.com/4590255/pizzagate-fake-news-what-to-know/ |magazine=Time |date=December 5, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161207204808/http://time.com/4590255/pizzagate-fake-news-what-to-know/ |archive-date=December 7, 2016}}

{{Main|Democratic National Committee cyber attacks|2016 Democratic National Committee email leak}}

File:Debbie Wasserman Schultz official photo.jpg resigned her position as chairperson of the DNC.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/25/debbie-wasserman-schultz-booed-dnc-fbi-email-hack|title=DNC apologizes to Bernie Sanders amid convention chaos in wake of email leak|first1=Sabrina|last1=Siddiqui|first2=Lauren|last2=Gambino|first3=Dan|last3=Roberts|date=July 25, 2016|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=April 16, 2018|archive-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202170440/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/25/debbie-wasserman-schultz-booed-dnc-fbi-email-hack|url-status=live}}]]

The United States Intelligence Community concluded by January 2017 that the GRU (using the names Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear) had gained access to the computer network of the Democratic National Committee (DNC)—the formal governing body of the Democratic Party—in July 2015 and maintained it until at least June 2016,{{cite news |last1=Kiely |first1=Eugene |title=Timeline of Russia Investigation |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2017/06/timeline-russia-investigation/ |access-date=January 29, 2019 |publisher=factcheck.org |date=June 7, 2017}} when they began leaking the stolen information via the Guccifer 2.0 online persona, DCLeaks.com and Wikileaks.Multiple sources:

• {{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/lone-hacker-claims-responsibility-cyber-attack-democrats-n593491 |title='Lone Hacker' Claims Responsibility for Cyber Attack on Democrats |work=NBC News |agency=Reuters |date=June 16, 2016 |access-date=February 26, 2017 |archive-date=July 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160728092152/http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/lone-hacker-claims-responsibility-cyber-attack-democrats-n593491 |url-status=live}}
• {{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/security/2016/06/guccifer-leak-of-dnc-trump-research-has-a-russians-fingerprints-on-it/|title="Guccifer" leak of DNC Trump research has a Russian's fingerprints on it|access-date=July 26, 2016|date=June 16, 2016|archive-date=July 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725202746/http://arstechnica.com/security/2016/06/guccifer-leak-of-dnc-trump-research-has-a-russians-fingerprints-on-it/|url-status=live}}
• {{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/damaging-emails-dnc-wikileaks-dump/story?id=40852448 |title=The{{nbsp}}4 Most Damaging Emails From the DNC WikiLeaks Dump |work=ABC News |date=July 25, 2016}}
• {{cite report |author=ODNI |title=Background to 'Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections': The Analytic Process and Cyber Incident Attribution |url=https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/ICA_2017_01.pdf |date=January 6, 2017 |publisher=Office of the Director of National Intelligence |access-date=April 1, 2018 |quote=pages 2-3}} Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned as DNC chairwoman following the release of e-mails by WikiLeaks that showed DNC officials discussing Bernie Sanders and his presidential campaign in a derisive and derogatory manner.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/23/dnc-emails-wikileaks-hillary-bernie-sanders |title=Leaked DNC emails reveal details of anti-Sanders sentiment |work=The Guardian |date=July 24, 2016 |access-date=April 30, 2017 |archive-date=July 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160724162752/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/23/dnc-emails-wikileaks-hillary-bernie-sanders |url-status=live}} Emails leaked included personal information about Democratic Party donors, with credit card and Social Security numbers,{{cite news |last1=McCarthy |first1=Kieren |title=WikiLeaks fights The Man by, er, publishing ordinary people's personal information |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/22/wikileaks_keep_fighting_the_man_by_er_publishing_the_personal_details_of_ordinary_citizens/ |website=The Register |access-date=July 25, 2016 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193753/https://www.theregister.com/2016/07/22/wikileaks_keep_fighting_the_man_by_er_publishing_the_personal_details_of_ordinary_citizens/ |url-status=live}}{{cite news |first=Andrea |last=Peterson |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/28/a-twitter-spat-breaks-out-between-snowden-and-wikileaks/ |title=Snowden and WikiLeaks clash over leaked Democratic Party emails |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 28, 2016 |access-date=January 28, 2019 |archive-date=August 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822082253/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/28/a-twitter-spat-breaks-out-between-snowden-and-wikileaks/ |url-status=live}} emails by Wasserman Schultz calling a Sanders campaign official a "damn liar".{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/288904-wasserman-schultz-sanders-aide-a-damn-liar/|title=Wasserman Schultz called top Sanders aide a 'damn liar' in leaked email|last=Carney|first=Jordain|date=July 22, 2016|website=The Hill|access-date=July 30, 2016}}

Following the July 22 publication of a large number of hacked emails by WikiLeaks, the FBI announced that it would investigate the theft of DNC emails.{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-07-25/fbi-investigating-dnc-cyber-hack-some-democrats-blame-on-russia |title=FBI Investigating DNC Hack Some Democrats Blame on Russia |publisher=Bloomberg Politics |date=July 25, 2016 |access-date=May 24, 2017 |archive-date=April 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407192415/https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-07-25/fbi-investigating-dnc-cyber-hack-some-democrats-blame-on-russia |url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/bears-midst-intrusion-democratic-national-committee/|title=Bears in the Midst: Intrusion into the Democratic National Committee|date=June 15, 2016|access-date=July 26, 2016|archive-date=May 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524090240/https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/bears-midst-intrusion-democratic-national-committee/|url-status=live}}

In June and July 2016, cybersecurity experts and firms, including CrowdStrike,{{cite web |url=https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/bears-midst-intrusion-democratic-national-committee/ |title=Bears in the Midst: Intrusion into the Democratic National Committee |last=Alperovitch |first=Dmitri |date=June 15, 2016 |publisher=CrowdStrike |access-date=December 24, 2016 |archive-date=May 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524090240/https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/bears-midst-intrusion-democratic-national-committee/ |url-status=live}} Fidelis, FireEye,{{cite news |last=Poulsen |first=Kevin |author-link=Kevin Poulsen |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/01/06/how-the-u-s-enabled-russian-hack-truthers.html |title=How the U.S. Hobbled Its Hacking Case Against Russia and Enabled Truthers |newspaper=The Daily Beast |date=January 6, 2017 |access-date=January 8, 2017 |archive-date=January 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107164047/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/01/06/how-the-u-s-enabled-russian-hack-truthers.html |url-status=live}} Mandiant, SecureWorks,{{cite web|url=https://www.secureworks.com/research/threat-group-4127-targets-hillary-clinton-presidential-campaign|title=Threat Group 4127 Targets Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign|publisher=SecureWorks|access-date=July 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720175418/https://www.secureworks.com/research/threat-group-4127-targets-hillary-clinton-presidential-campaign|archive-date=July 20, 2016|url-status=dead}} Symantec and ThreatConnect, stated the DNC email leaks were part of a series of cyberattacks on the DNC committed by two Russian intelligence groups, called Fancy Bear and Cozy Bear,{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/26/dnc-email-leak-russian-hack-guccifer-2 |title=DNC email leak: Russian hackers Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear behind breach |newspaper=The Guardian |first=Sam |last=Thielman |date=July 26, 2016 |access-date=December 21, 2016 |archive-date=August 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805161507/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/26/dnc-email-leak-russian-hack-guccifer-2 |url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cyber-researchers-confirm-russian-government-hack-of-democratic-national-committee/2016/06/20/e7375bc0-3719-11e6-9ccd-d6005beac8b3_story.html|title=Cyber researchers confirm Russian government hack of Democratic National Committee|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=July 26, 2016|archive-date=August 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803042631/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cyber-researchers-confirm-russian-government-hack-of-democratic-national-committee/2016/06/20/e7375bc0-3719-11e6-9ccd-d6005beac8b3_story.html|url-status=live}} also known respectively as APT28 and APT29 / The Dukes.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/russia-hack-election-dnc.html|title=The Perfect Weapon: How Russian Cyberpower Invaded the U.S|first1=Eric|last1=Lipton|first2=David E.|last2=Sanger|first3=Scott|last3=Shane|date=December 13, 2016|website=The New York Times|access-date=March 4, 2018|archive-date=December 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213204459/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/russia-hack-election-dnc.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.f-secure.com/documents/996508/1030745/dukes_whitepaper.pdf|title=The Dukes Whitepaper|access-date=December 18, 2015|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193552/https://blog-assets.f-secure.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/18122307/F-Secure_Dukes_Whitepaper.pdf|url-status=live}} ThreatConnect also noted possible links between the DC Leaks project and Russian intelligence operations because of a similarity with Fancy Bear attack patterns.{{cite news |title=Does a BEAR Leak in the Woods? |url=https://www.threatconnect.com/blog/does-a-bear-leak-in-the-woods/ |publisher=ThreatConnect |date=August 12, 2016 |access-date=December 21, 2016 |archive-date=November 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101164705/https://www.threatconnect.com/blog/does-a-bear-leak-in-the-woods/ |url-status=dead}} SecureWorks added that the actor group was operating from Russia on behalf of the Russian government.{{cite web |title=Threat Group-4127 Targets Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign |url=https://www.secureworks.com/research/threat-group-4127-targets-hillary-clinton-presidential-campaign |publisher=SecureWorks |date=June 16, 2016 |access-date=January 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720175418/https://www.secureworks.com/research/threat-group-4127-targets-hillary-clinton-presidential-campaign |archive-date=July 20, 2016 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |last1=Gallagher |first1=Sean |title=Recapping the facts—Did the Russians 'hack' the election? A look at the established facts |url=https://arstechnica.com/security/2016/12/the-public-evidence-behind-claims-russia-hacked-for-trump/ |publisher=ArsTechnica |access-date=December 31, 2016 |date=December 12, 2016 |archive-date=January 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101144432/http://arstechnica.com/security/2016/12/the-public-evidence-behind-claims-russia-hacked-for-trump/ |url-status=live}} de Volkskrant later reported that Dutch intelligence agency AIVD had penetrated the Russian hacking group Cozy Bear in 2014, and observed them in 2015 hack the State Department in real time, while capturing pictures of the hackers via a security camera in their workspace.{{cite web|url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/wetenschap/dutch-agencies-provide-crucial-intel-about-russia-s-interference-in-us-elections~b4f8111b/|title=Dutch agencies provide crucial intel about Russia's interference in US-elections|date=January 25, 2018|access-date=July 30, 2018|archive-date=July 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730030813/https://www.volkskrant.nl/wetenschap/dutch-agencies-provide-crucial-intel-about-russia-s-interference-in-us-elections~b4f8111b/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-07-16/russia-hacker-indictments-should-make-the-kremlin-squirm|title=Russia Hacker Indictments Should Make the Kremlin Squirm|website=Bloomberg News|date=July 16, 2018|access-date=July 30, 2018|archive-date=July 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730235001/https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-07-16/russia-hacker-indictments-should-make-the-kremlin-squirm|url-status=live}} American, British, and Dutch intelligence services had also observed stolen DNC emails on Russian military intelligence networks.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/18/world/europe/trump-intelligence-russian-election-meddling-.html|title=From the Start, Trump Has Muddied a Clear Message: Putin Interfered|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 19, 2018|access-date=July 30, 2018|last1=Sanger|first1=David E.|last2=Rosenberg|first2=Matthew|archive-date=August 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805210601/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/18/world/europe/trump-intelligence-russian-election-meddling-.html|url-status=live}}

On October 7, 2016, Secretary Johnson and Director Clapper issued a joint statement that the intelligence community is confident the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations, and that the disclosures of hacked e-mails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks are consistent with the Russian-directed efforts.{{cite web|title=Joint Statement from the Department Of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security|url=https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/10/07/joint-statement-department-homeland-security-and-office-director-national|publisher=Department of Homeland Security|language=en|date=October 7, 2016|access-date=December 11, 2016|archive-date=December 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210004335/https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/10/07/joint-statement-department-homeland-security-and-office-director-national|url-status=live}} {{PD-notice}}

In the July 2018 indictment by the Justice Department of twelve Russian GRU intelligence officials posing as "a Guccifer 2.0 persona" for conspiring to interfere in the 2016 elections{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/13/5-key-takeaways-from-mueller-indictment-of-russian-election-hackers.html|title=5 key takeaways from the latest indictment in Mueller's Russia probe|first=Christina|last=Wilkie|website=CNBC|date=July 13, 2018|access-date=July 30, 2018|archive-date=July 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713215653/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/13/5-key-takeaways-from-mueller-indictment-of-russian-election-hackers.html|url-status=live}}

was for hacking into computers of the Clinton campaign, the Democratic National Committee, state election boards, and secretaries of several states. The indictment describes "a sprawling and sustained cyberattack on at least three hundred people connected to the Democratic Party and the Clinton campaign". The leaked stolen files were released "in stages", a tactic wreaking "havoc on the Democratic Party throughout much of the election season."

One collection of data that hackers obtained and that may have become a "devastating weapon" against the Clinton campaign was the campaign's data analytics and voter-turnout models, extremely useful in targeting messages to "key constituencies" that Clinton needed to mobilize. These voters were later bombarded by Russian operatives with negative information about Clinton on social media.

File:RUEDA DE PRENSA CONJUNTA ENTRE CANCILLER RICARDO PATIÑO Y JULIAN ASSANGE (cropped).jpg]]

In April 2017, CIA Director Mike Pompeo said WikiLeaks was a hostile intelligence agency aided by foreign states including Russia, and that the U.S. Intelligence Community concluded that Russia's "propaganda outlet", RT, had conspired with WikiLeaks.{{cite news|first=Kathryn|last=Watson|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cia-director-calls-wikileaks-a-non-state-hostile-intelligence-service/|title=CIA director calls WikiLeaks Russia-aided "non-state hostile intelligence service"|work=CBS News|date=April 13, 2017|access-date=May 7, 2017|archive-date=April 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422031223/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cia-director-calls-wikileaks-a-non-state-hostile-intelligence-service/|url-status=live}}

WikiLeaks{{cite news |last1=McKirdy |first1=Euan |title=WikiLeaks' Assange: Russia didn't give us emails |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/04/politics/assange-wikileaks-hannity-intv/index.html |access-date=January 2, 2019 |agency=CNN |date=January 4, 2017 |archive-date=January 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103055729/https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/04/politics/assange-wikileaks-hannity-intv/index.html |url-status=live}} and its founder Julian Assange{{cite news |first=Alex |last=Johnson |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wikileaks-julian-assange-no-proof-hacked-dnc-emails-came-russia-n616541 |title=WikiLeaks' Julian Assange: 'No Proof' Hacked DNC Emails Came From Russia |work=NBC News |date=July 25, 2016 |access-date=October 7, 2019 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193635/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wikileaks-julian-assange-no-proof-hacked-dnc-emails-came-russia-n616541 |url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=WikiLeaks' Assange denies Russia behind Podesta hack|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/julian-assange-russia-john-podesta-wikileaks-230676|newspaper=Politico|date=November 3, 2016|access-date=December 10, 2016|archive-date=December 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161216081403/http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/julian-assange-russia-john-podesta-wikileaks-230676|url-status=live}} have made a number of statements denying that the Russian government was the source of the material. However, an anonymous CIA official said that Russian officials transferred the hacked e-mails to WikiLeaks using "a circuitous route" from Russia's military intelligence services (GRU) to WikiLeaks via third parties.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-cyber-celebrate-idUSKBN14P2NI |title=U.S. intel report identifies Russians who gave emails to WikiLeaks officials |work=Reuters |date=January 6, 2017 |access-date=February 12, 2017 |archive-date=January 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103155319/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-cyber-celebrate-idUSKBN14P2NI |url-status=live}}

In a leaked private message on Twitter, Assange wrote that in the 2016 election "it would be much better for GOP to win", and that Hillary Clinton was a "sadistic sociopath".{{cite news |last1=Bowden |first1=John |title=Leaked Twitter messages indicate WikiLeaks bias against Clinton: report |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/373870-leaked-twitter-messages-reveal-wikileaks-bias-against-clinton-report/ |access-date=January 5, 2019 |agency=The Hill |date=February 14, 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Micah |last2=Currier |first2=Cora |title=In Leaked Chats, WikiLeaks Discusses Preference for GOP Over Clinton, Russia, Trolling, and Feminists They Don't Like |url=https://theintercept.com/2018/02/14/julian-assange-wikileaks-election-clinton-trump/ |access-date=March 10, 2019 |agency=The Intercept |date=February 14, 2018 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193633/https://theintercept.com/2018/02/14/julian-assange-wikileaks-election-clinton-trump/ |url-status=live}}

On 16 August 2017, US Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher visited Assange and told him that Trump would pardon him on condition that he would agree to say that Russia was not involved in the 2016 Democratic National Committee email leaks. At his extradition hearings in 2020, Assange's defence team alleged in court that this offer was made "on instructions from the president". Trump and Rohrabacher subsequently said they had never spoken about the offer and Rohrabacher said he had made the offer on his own initiative.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/feb/19/donald-trump-offered-julian-assange-pardon-russia-hack-wikileaks |title=Donald Trump 'offered Julian Assange a pardon if he denied Russia link to hack' |work=The Guardian |date=19 February 2020 |access-date=19 February 2020 |author=Bowcott, Owen and Julian Borger}}{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-201708-htmlstory.html#rohrabacher-on-meeting-with-wikileaks-assange-we-talked-about-what-might-be-necessary-to-get-him-out |title=Rohrabacher on meeting with WikiLeaks' Assange: We talked about 'what might be necessary to get him out' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=17 August 2017 |access-date=20 February 2020 |author=Mai-Duc, Christine}}{{cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/rohrabacher-confirms-he-offered-trump-pardon-to-assange-for-proof-russia-didnt-hack-dnc-email-131438007.html |title=Rohrabacher confirms he offered Trump pardon to Assange for proof Russia didn't hack DNC email |publisher=Yahoo! News |date=20 February 2020 |access-date=20 February 2020 |author=Isikoff, Michael}}

Hillary Clinton was not the only Democrat attacked. Caches of Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee documents stolen by "Guccifer 2.0" were also released to reporters and bloggers around the U.S. As one Democratic candidate put it, "Our entire internal strategy plan was made public, and suddenly all this material was out there and could be used against me." The New York Times noted, "The seats that Guccifer 2.0 targeted in the document dumps were hardly random: They were some of the most competitive House races in the country."{{cite news |last1=Lipton |first1=Eric |last2=Shane |first2=Scott |title=Democratic House Candidates Were Also Targets of Russian Hacking |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/house-democrats-hacking-dccc.html |access-date=January 3, 2019 |agency=The New York Times |date=December 13, 2016 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=January 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104184139/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/house-democrats-hacking-dccc.html |url-status=live}}

On January 10, 2017, FBI Director James Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Russia succeeded in "collecting some information from Republican-affiliated targets but did not leak it to the public".{{cite news |last1=Schreck |first1=Carl |title=FBI Director: No Evidence Russia Successfully Hacked Trump Campaign |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-fbi-comey-evidence-trump-campaign-hacked/28224353.html |access-date=February 2, 2019 |agency=RFERL |date=January 10, 2017 |archive-date=February 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203030514/https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-fbi-comey-evidence-trump-campaign-hacked/28224353.html |url-status=live}} In earlier statements, an FBI official stated Russian attempts to access the RNC server were unsuccessful, or had reportedly told the RNC chair that their servers were secure,{{cite news |last=Rossoll |first=Nicki |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/reince-priebus-rnc-hacked/story?id=44110357 |title=Reince Priebus: 'RNC Was Not Hacked' |work=ABC News |date=December 11, 2016 |access-date=December 12, 2016}} but that email accounts of individual Republicans (including Colin Powell) were breached. (Over 200 emails from Colin Powell were posted on the website DC Leaks.)cf. {{cite news |last=Tau |first=Byron |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/leaked-colin-powell-emails-lambaste-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-1473862328 |title=Colin Powell Blasts Donald Trump, Criticizes Hillary Clinton in Leaked Messages |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=September 14, 2016 |access-date=December 11, 2016 |archive-date=December 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210140748/http://www.wsj.com/articles/leaked-colin-powell-emails-lambaste-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-1473862328 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/despite-cia-report-russia-priebus-says-he-doesn-t-know-n694541 |title=Priebus: "I Don't Know Whether It's True" Russia Is Responsible for Election Hacks |work=Meet the Press |publisher=NBC News |first=Liz |last=Johnstone |date=December 11, 2016 |access-date=March 6, 2017 |archive-date=March 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306212045/http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/despite-cia-report-russia-priebus-says-he-doesn-t-know-n694541 |url-status=live}} One state Republican Party (Illinois) may have had some of its email accounts hacked.{{cite news|last1=Pearson|first1=Rick|title=FBI told state GOP in June its emails had been hacked|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-illinois-republican-party-email-hack-met-1212-20161211-story.html|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=December 11, 2016|archive-date=December 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211232735/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-illinois-republican-party-email-hack-met-1212-20161211-story.html|url-status=live}}

{{Main|Democratic National Committee v. Russian Federation}}

On April 20, 2018, the Democratic National Committee filed a civil lawsuit in federal court in New York, accusing the Russian Government, the Trump campaign, WikiLeaks, and others of conspiracy to alter the course of the 2016 presidential election and asking for monetary damages and a declaration admitting guilt. The lawsuit was dismissed by the judge, because New York "does not recognize the specific tort claims pressed in the suit"; the judge did not make a finding on whether there was or was not "collusion between defendants and Russia during the 2016 presidential election".{{cite news |url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/07/04/judge-tosses-suit-linking-trump-leak-democratic-emails/757588002/ |title= Lawsuit linking Trump to Russian Hackers, leak of Democratic emails tossed out |date= July 4, 2018 |first= John |last= Bacon |work= USA Today |access-date= August 6, 2018 |archive-date= August 6, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180806085158/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/07/04/judge-tosses-suit-linking-trump-leak-democratic-emails/757588002/ |url-status= live}}

At a news conference on July 27, 2016, Trump publicly called on Russia to hack and release Hillary Clinton's deleted emails from her private server during her tenure in the State Department.{{cite news |first1= Ashley |last1= Parker |author-link= Ashley Parker |first2= David E. |last2= Sanger |author-link2= David E. Sanger |title= Donald Trump Calls on Russia to Find Hillary Clinton's Missing Emails |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-clinton-emails.html?_r=0 |newspaper= The New York Times |date= July 27, 2016 |access-date= February 21, 2017 |archive-date= February 13, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170213234038/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-clinton-emails.html?_r=0 |url-status= live}}{{cite tweet|user=realDonaldTrump |author-link=Donald Trump |number=758335147183788032 |title=If Russia or any other country or person has Hillary Clinton's 33,000 illegally deleted emails, perhaps they should share them with the FBI! |date=July 27, 2016}}

{{blockquote|Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.}}

Trump's comment was condemned by the press and political figures, including some Republicans;{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/trump-russia-clinton-emails-treason-226303 |title='Treason'? Critics savage Trump over Russia hack comments |work=Politico |first1=Nahal |last1=Toosi |first2=Seung Min |last2=Kim |date=July 27, 2016 |access-date=February 26, 2017 |archive-date=February 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226202750/http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/trump-russia-clinton-emails-treason-226303 |url-status=live}} he replied that he had been speaking sarcastically.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-36917349 |title=Trump: Russia remarks on Clinton emails were sarcasm |work=BBC News |date=July 28, 2016}} Later that same day, Trump elaborated in a tweet:

If Russia or any other country or person has Hillary Clinton's 33,000 illegally deleted emails, perhaps they should share them with the FBI!Parker, Ashley and Sanger, David. “[https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-clinton-emails.html Donald Trump Calls on Russia to Find Hillary Clinton’s Missing Emails] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170602022740/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-clinton-emails.html |date=June 2, 2017}}”, New York Times (July 27, 2016).

Several Democratic Senators said Trump's comments appeared to violate the Logan Act,{{cite news|url=http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/harry-reid-says-trump-should-get-fake-intel-briefings|title=Reid Says Trump Should Get Fake Intel Briefings|last=Lesniewski|first=Niels|date=July 28, 2016|newspaper=Roll Call|location=United States|access-date=February 12, 2017|archive-date=January 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126125232/http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/harry-reid-says-trump-should-get-fake-intel-briefings|url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2016/07/28/donald-trump-email-hack-russia-comments-could-be-felony-tom-vilsack-charges/87655860/|title=Trump's Russia comments could be a felony, Vilsack charges|last=Noble |first=Jason|date=July 28, 2016|newspaper=The Des Moines Register|access-date=February 12, 2017}} and Harvard Law School professor Laurence Tribe added that Trump's call could be treasonous.{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/laurence-tribe-trump-russia-226371|title=Former Obama mentor: Trump's Russian hack 'jokes' could 'constitute treason'|last=Kelly|first=Caroline|date=July 28, 2016|work=Politico|access-date=February 12, 2017|archive-date=January 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170128003452/http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/laurence-tribe-trump-russia-226371|url-status=live}}

The July 2018 federal indictment of Russian GRU agents said that the first, and unsuccessful, attempt by Russian hackers to infiltrate the computer servers inside Clinton's offices took place on the same day (July 27, 2016) Trump made his "Russia if you're listening" appeal.{{cite news |last1=Swaine |first1=Jon |title=Russians tried to hack Clinton server on day Trump urged email search |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/13/russians-hillary-clinton-email-server-trump-indictment |access-date=January 3, 2019 |agency=The Guardian |date=July 3, 2018 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193800/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/13/russians-hillary-clinton-email-server-trump-indictment |url-status=live}} While no direct link with Trump's remark was alleged in the indictment, journalist Jane Mayer called the timing "striking".

Trump asserted in March 2019 that he had been joking when he made the remark. Katy Tur of NBC News had interviewed Trump immediately after the 2016 remark, noting she gave him an opportunity to characterize it as a joke, but he did not.{{cite web|url=https://www.mediaite.com/tv/katy-tur-on-trumps-cpac-claim-about-russia-if-youre-listening-line-no-he-wasnt-joking/|title=Katy Tur on Trump's CPAC Claim About 'Russia, If You're Listening…' Line: No, He Wasn't Joking|date=March 4, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/03/trump-russia-emails-joke-cpac-speech|title=Trump Claims Call for Russia to Hack Clinton Emails Was Just "A Joke"|first=Kevin|last=Fitzpatrick|website=The Hive|date=March 3, 2019|access-date=March 5, 2019|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193635/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/03/trump-russia-emails-joke-cpac-speech|url-status=live}}

In her analysis of the Russian influence on the 2016 election, Kathleen Hall Jamieson argues that Russians aligned themselves with the "geographic and demographic objectives" of the Trump campaign, using trolls, social media, and hacked information to target certain important constituencies.{{cite book |title=Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President What We Don't, Can't, and Do Know |last=Jamieson |first=Kathleen Hall |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=October 3, 2018 |isbn=978-0190915810}}

{{Further|Foreign exploitation of American race relations}}

According to Vox, the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) focused on the culture of Muslims, Christians, Texas, and LGBTQ people, to engage those communities as part of a broader strategy to deepen social and political divisions within the U.S., but no other group received as much attention as Black Americans, whose voter turnout has been historically crucial to the election of Democrats. Russia's influence campaign used an array of tactics aiming to reduce their vote for Hillary Clinton, according to a December 2018 report (The Tactics & Tropes of the Internet Research Agency){{cite news |url=https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/533-read-report-internet-research-agency/7871ea6d5b7bedafbf19/optimized/full.pdf |title=The Tactics & Tropes of the Internet Research Agency |first1=Renée |last1=DiResta |author-link=Renée DiResta |first2=Kris |last2=Shaffer |first3=Becky |last3=Ruppel |first4=David |last4=Sullivan |first5=Robert |last5=Matney |first6=Ryan |last6=Fox |first7=Jonathan |last7=Albright |first8=Ben |last8=Johnson |work=New Knowledge |date=18 December 2018 |access-date=18 January 2024 |via=nyt.com |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193601/https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/533-read-report-internet-research-agency/7871ea6d5b7bedafbf19/optimized/full.pdf |url-status=live}}

commissioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/us/politics/russia-2016-influence-campaign.html|title=Russian 2016 Influence Operation Targeted African-Americans on Social Media|first1=Scott|last1=Shane|first2=Sheera|last2=Frankel|work=The New York Times|agency=The New York Times|date=December 17, 2018|access-date=December 20, 2018|archive-date=December 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220024450/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/us/politics/russia-2016-influence-campaign.html|url-status=live}}

A total 30 Facebook pages targeting Black Americans and 10 YouTube channels that posted 571 videos related to police violence against African-Americans.{{cite news |title=Russia favored Trump, targeted African-Americans with election meddling, reports say |last1=Dilanian |first1=Ken |first2=Ben |last2=Popken |access-date=January 7, 2019 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/russia-favored-trump-targeted-african-americans-election-meddling-reports-say-n948731 |agency=NBC News |date=December 17, 2018 |archive-date=January 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107081509/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/russia-favored-trump-targeted-african-americans-election-meddling-reports-say-n948731 |url-status=live}}

The covertly Russian Instagram account @blackstagram had more than 300,000 followers. A variety of Facebook pages targeting African Americans and later determined to be Russian amassed a total of 1.2 million individual followers, the report found. The Facebook page for (the Russian) Blacktivist, garnered more hits than Black Lives Matter's (non-Russian) Facebook page.

Influence operations included recruiting typically unknowing assets who would stage events and spread content from Russian influencers, spreading videos of police abuse and spreading misleading information about how to vote and whom to vote for. The attempt to target Black Americans has been compared to the KGB's attempt to foster racial tensions during Operation INFEKTION.{{cite book |last1=Schick |first1=Nina |title=Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse |date=2020 |publisher=Monoray |location=United Kingdom |isbn=978-1-913183-52-3 |page=63}}

At least 25 social media pages drawing 1.4 million followers were created by Russian agents to target the American political right and promote the Trump candidacy.

An example of the targeting was the adding of Blue Lives Matter material to social media platforms by Russian operatives after the Black Lives Matter movement moved to the center of public attention in America and sparked a pro-police reaction.

Jamieson{{cite book |url=https://www.slideshare.net/horuryju61602/cyberwar-pdf-kathleen-hall-jamieson-how-russian-hackers-and-trolls-helped-elect-a-president-what-we-dont-cant-and-do-know |title=Cyberwar—How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President: What We Don't, Can't, and Do Know |first=Kathleen Hall |last=Jamieson |format=PDF |via=Slideshare.net |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=October 25, 2018 |access-date=December 27, 2018 |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806222227/https://www.slideshare.net/horuryju61602/cyberwar-pdf-kathleen-hall-jamieson-how-russian-hackers-and-trolls-helped-elect-a-president-what-we-dont-cant-and-do-know |url-status=live}} noted there was reason to believe Donald Trump would under-perform among two normally dependable conservative Republican voting blocs—churchgoing Christians and military service members and their families. It was thought pious Christians were put off by Trump's lifestyle as a Manhattan socialite,{{cite news |last1=Rosenthal |first1=Max J. |title=The Trump Files: Listen to Donald Brag About His Affairs—While Pretending to Be Someone Else |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/trump-files-listen-donald-brag-about-his-affairs-while-pretending-be-someone-else/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160930004211/http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/trump-files-listen-donald-brag-about-his-affairs-while-pretending-be-someone-else |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 30, 2016 |access-date=December 27, 2018 |agency=Mother Jones |date=September 29, 2016}} known for his three marriages and many affairs but not for any religious beliefs, who had boasted of groping women. Military personnel might lack enthusiasm for a candidate who avoided service in Vietnam{{cite news |last1=Eder |first1=Steve |last2=Philipps |first2=Dave |title=Donald Trump's Draft Deferments: Four for College, One for Bad Feet |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/us/politics/donald-trump-draft-record.html |access-date=December 27, 2018 |agency=The New York Times |date=August 1, 2016 |archive-date=January 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115015500/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/us/politics/donald-trump-draft-record.html |url-status=live}} but who described himself as a "brave soldier" in having to face his "personal Vietnam" of the threat of sexually transmitted diseases,{{cite news |title=Trump Boasted of Avoiding STDs While Dating: Vaginas Are 'Landmines ... It Is My Personal Vietnam' |url=https://people.com/politics/trump-boasted-of-avoiding-stds-while-dating-vaginas-are-landmines-it-was-my-personal-vietnam/ |access-date=December 27, 2018 |agency=People |date=October 28, 2016 |archive-date=December 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228082924/https://people.com/politics/trump-boasted-of-avoiding-stds-while-dating-vaginas-are-landmines-it-was-my-personal-vietnam/ |url-status=live}} and who mocked Gold Star parents and former prisoner of war John McCain. To overcome Trump's possible poor reputation among evangelicals and veterans, Russian trolls created memes that exploited typical conservative social attitudes about people of color, Muslims, and immigrants. One such meme juxtaposed photographs of a homeless veteran and an undocumented immigrant, alluding to the belief that undocumented immigrants receive special treatment.{{cite web |title=How come this veteran gets nothing while this illegal gets everything? Like and share if you think this is a disgrace. |url=https://me.me/i/how-come-this-veteran-gets-nothing-while-this-illegal-gets-7e31128f46cb4e0ba9151581dbf783ba |website=me.me |access-date=February 8, 2019 |archive-date=March 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328181537/https://me.me/i/how-come-this-veteran-gets-nothing-while-this-illegal-gets-7e31128f46cb4e0ba9151581dbf783ba |url-status=dead}}{{rp|84}} CNN exit polls showed that Trump led Clinton among veterans by 26 percentage points and won a higher percentage of the evangelical vote than either of the two previous Republican presidential nominees, indicating that this tactic may have succeeded.

A 2019 report by the Senate Intelligence Committee{{cite report |title=Report of the Select Committee on Intelligence United States Senate on Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.s. Election Volume 1: Russian Efforts Against Election Infrastructure With Additional Views |publisher=US Senate |url=https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Report_Volume1.pdf |access-date=10 January 2020 |archive-date=July 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727210348/https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Report_Volume1.pdf |url-status=live}} found "an unprecedented level of activity against state election infrastructure" by Russian intelligence in 2016.{{cite news |last1=Sanger |first1=David E. |last2=Edmondson |first2=Catie |title=Russia Targeted Election Systems in All 50 States, Report Finds |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/us/politics/russian-hacking-elections.html |access-date=10 January 2020 |agency=The New York Times |date=25 July 2019 |archive-date=July 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727201549/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/us/politics/russian-hacking-elections.html |url-status=live}} The activity occurred in "all 50 states" and is thought by "many officials and experts" to have been "a trial run{{nbsp}}... to probe American defenses and identify weaknesses in the vast back-end apparatus—voter-registration operations, state and local election databases, electronic poll books and other equipment" of state election systems.{{cite news |last1=Rosenberg |first1=Matthew |last2=Perlroth |first2=Nicole |last3=Sanger |first3=David E. |title='Chaos Is the Point': Russian Hackers and Trolls Grow Stealthier in 2020 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/us/politics/russia-hacking-disinformation-election.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage |access-date=10 January 2020 |agency=The New York Times |date=10 January 2020}} The report warned that the United States "remains vulnerable" in the 2020 election.

Of "particular concern" to the committee report was the Russians' hacking of three companies "that provide states with the back-end systems that have increasingly replaced the thick binders of paper used to verify voters' identities and registration status."

During the summer and fall of 2016, Russian hackers intruded into voter databases and software systems in 39 different states, alarming Obama administration officials to the point that they took the unprecedented step of contacting Moscow directly via the Moscow–Washington hotline and warning that the attacks risked setting off a broader conflict.{{cite news |last1=Riley |first1=Michael |last2=Robertson |first2=Jordan |title=Russian Hacks on U.S. Voting System Wider Than Previously Known |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-13/russian-breach-of-39-states-threatens-future-u-s-elections |access-date=February 22, 2019 |agency=Bloomberg|date=June 13, 2017}}

As early as June 2016, the FBI sent a warning to states about "bad actors" probing state-elections systems to seek vulnerabilities.{{cite news |first=Tal |last=Kopan |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/28/politics/fbi-james-comey-election-cyberattacks/ |title=FBI director: Hackers 'poking around' voter systems |work=CNN |date=September 28, 2016 |access-date=18 January 2024 |archive-date=September 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906145840/https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/28/politics/fbi-james-comey-election-cyberattacks/ |url-status=live}} In September 2016, FBI Director James Comey testified before the House Judiciary Committee that the FBI was investigating Russian hackers attempting to disrupt the 2016 election and that federal investigators had detected hacker-related activities in state voter-registration databases,{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-c6f67fb36d844f28bd18a522811bdd18 |access-date=18 January 2024 |title=U.S. official: Hackers targeted voter registration systems of 20 states |work=Associated Press |first=Tami |last=Abdollah |date=September 30, 2016 |archive-date=January 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118175719/https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-c6f67fb36d844f28bd18a522811bdd18 |url-status=live}} which independent assessments determined were soft targets for hackers.{{cite news |first1=Robert |last1=Windrem |first2=William M. |last2=Arkin |first3=Ken |last3=Dilanian |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/russians-hacked-two-u-s-voter-databases-say-officials-n639551 |title=Russians Hacked Two U.S. Voter Databases, Officials Say |work=NBC News |date=August 30, 2016}} Comey stated there were multiple attempts to hack voter database registrations. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper attributed Russian hacking attempts to Vladimir Putin.{{cite news |first1=Mike |last1=Levine |first2=Pierre |last2=Thomas |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/russian-hackers-targeted-half-states-voter-registration-systems/story?id=42435822 |title=Russian Hackers Targeted Nearly Half of States' Voter Registration Systems, Successfully Infiltrated 4 |work=ABC News |date=September 29, 2016 |access-date=18 January 2024 |archive-date=May 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519145333/https://abcnews.go.com/US/russian-hackers-targeted-half-states-voter-registration-systems/story?id=42435822 |url-status=live}} File:NSA Report on Russia Spearphishing.pdf.]]

In August 2016, the FBI issued a nationwide "flash alert" warning state election officials about hacking attempts. In September 2016, U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials and the National Association of Secretaries of State announced that hackers had penetrated, or sought to penetrate, the voter-registration systems in more than 20 states over the previous few months. Federal investigators attributed these attempts to Russian government-sponsored hackers, and specifically to Russian intelligence agencies. Four of the intrusions into voter registration databases were successful, including intrusions into the Illinois and Arizona databases. Although the hackers did not appear to change or manipulate data, Illinois officials said information on up to 200,000 registered voters was stolen. The FBI and DHS increased their election-security coordination efforts with state officials as a result. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson reported that 18 states had requested voting-system security assistance from DHS. The department also offered risk assessments to the states, but just four states expressed interest, as the election was rapidly approaching. The reports of the database intrusions prompted alarm from Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, who wrote to the FBI saying foreign attempts to cast doubt on free and fair elections was a danger to democracy not seen since the Cold War.

A June 5, 2017, article in The Intercept described how "a top-secret National Security Agency report" (dated May 5, 2017) "details a months-long Russian hacking effort against the U.S. election infrastructure". The NSA did not draw conclusions but reported "the possibility that Russian hacking may have breached at least some elements of the voting system, with disconcertingly uncertain results". The NSA report revealed that the Russian military's GRU hackers used spearfishing attacks to successfully get employee login credentials and login information at VR Systems, an election software vendor. That information "can be used to penetrate 'corporate VPNs, email, or cloud services,' allowing access to internal corporate data". Two months later, a second attack used "trojanized" Microsoft Word documents that were supposedly from a VR systems employee. They targeted officials at local government organizations who were "involved in the management of voter registration systems". This type of attack gave the hackers the same unlimited access and capabilities as trusted users. The NSA was uncertain about the results of this attack. The report detailed other Russian attacks.{{cite web |last1=Cole |first1=Matthew |last2=Esposito |first2=Richard |last3=Biddle |first3=Sam |last4=Grim |first4=Ryan |title=Top-Secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election |website=The Intercept |date=June 5, 2017 |url=https://theintercept.com/2017/06/05/top-secret-nsa-report-details-russian-hacking-effort-days-before-2016-election/ |access-date=January 11, 2023 |quote=The NSA analysis does not draw conclusions about whether the interference had any effect on the election's outcome and concedes that much remains unknown about the extent of the hackers' accomplishments. However, the report raises the possibility that Russian hacking may have breached at least some elements of the voting system, with disconcertingly uncertain results. |archive-date=June 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605234934/https://theintercept.com/2017/06/05/top-secret-nsa-report-details-russian-hacking-effort-days-before-2016-election/ |url-status=live}}

On September 22, 2017, federal authorities notified the election officials of 21 states that their election systems had been targeted.{{cite news |last=Fessler |first=Pam |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/09/22/552956517/ten-months-after-election-day-feds-tell-states-more-about-russian-hacking |title=10 Months After Election Day, Feds Tell States More About Russian Hacking |work=NPR |date=September 20, 2017 |access-date=September 22, 2017 |archive-date=September 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922235757/http://www.npr.org/2017/09/22/552956517/ten-months-after-election-day-feds-tell-states-more-about-russian-hacking |url-status=live}} "In most cases, states said they were told the systems were not breached."{{cite news |last1=Mulvihill |first1=Geoff |last2=Pearson |first2=Jake |url=https://apnews.com/article/cb8a753a9b0948589cc372a3c037a567/Federal-government-notifies-21-states-of-election-hacking |title=Federal government notifies 21 states of election hacking |work=Associated Press |date=September 22, 2017 |access-date=November 22, 2019 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308224112/https://apnews.com/article/cb8a753a9b0948589cc372a3c037a567/Federal-government-notifies-21-states-of-election-hacking |url-status=live}} Over a year after the initial warnings, this was the first official confirmation many state governments received that their states specifically had been targeted.{{cite news |last1=Mulvihill |first1=Geoff |title=Hackers targeted election voting systems in 21 states, US government reveals |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-election-hacking-voting-systems-breach-states-revealed-a7962542.html |website=The Independent |date=September 22, 2017 |access-date=October 2, 2017 |archive-date=October 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002120058/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-election-hacking-voting-systems-breach-states-revealed-a7962542.html |url-status=live}} Moreover, top elections officials of the states of Wisconsin and California have denied the federal claim. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said, "California voters can further rest assured that the California Secretary of State elections infrastructure and websites were not hacked or breached by Russian cyber actors{{nbsp}}... Our notification from DHS last Friday was not only a year late, it also turned out to be bad information."{{cite news |title=Russia did not hack our voting systems, says California |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/russia-hacking-us-election-voting-systems-did-not-happen-california-a7970976.html |website=The Independent |date=September 27, 2017 |access-date=September 30, 2017 |first=Jeremy B. |last=White |archive-date=September 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930175637/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/russia-hacking-us-election-voting-systems-did-not-happen-california-a7970976.html |url-status=live}}

In May 2018, the Senate Intelligence Committee released its interim report on election security.{{cite news |first=Karoun |last=Demirjian |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-intelligence-committee-releases-interim-report-on-election-security/2018/05/08/4b33d992-531e-11e8-9c91-7dab596e8252_story.html |access-date=18 January 2024 |title=Senate Intelligence Committee releases interim report on election security |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509041442/https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-intelligence-committee-releases-interim-report-on-election-security/2018/05/08/4b33d992-531e-11e8-9c91-7dab596e8252_story.html |archive-date=May 9, 2018 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}} The committee concluded, on a bipartisan basis, that the response of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to Russian government-sponsored efforts to undermine confidence in the U.S. voting process was "inadequate". The committee reported that the Russian government was able to penetrate election systems in at least 18, and possibly up to 21, states, and that in a smaller subset of states, infiltrators "could have altered or deleted voter registration data", although they lacked the ability to manipulate individual votes or vote tallies. The committee wrote that the infiltrators' failure to exploit vulnerabilities in election systems could have been because they "decided against taking action" or because "they were merely gathering information and testing capabilities for a future attack". To prevent future infiltrations, the committee made a number of recommendations, including that "at a minimum, any machine purchased going forward should have a voter-verified paper trail and no WiFi capability".{{cite report |url=https://www.burr.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/RussRptInstlmt1-%20ElecSec%20Findings,Recs2.pdf |url-status=dead |title=Russian Targeting of Election Infrastructure During the 2016 Election: Summary of Initial Findings and Recommendations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628044522/https://www.burr.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/RussRptInstlmt1-%20ElecSec%20Findings,Recs2.pdf |archive-date=June 28, 2018 |work=Senate Intelligence Committee |date=May 8, 2018}}

By January 2017, a multi-agency investigation, conducted by the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, the Justice Department, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and representatives of the DNI, was underway looking into how the Russian government may have secretly financed efforts to help Trump win the election. They had been conducted over several months by six federal agencies.{{cite news |access-date=19 January 2024 |url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article127231799.html |title=FBI, five other agencies probe possible covert Kremlin aid to Trump |work=McClatchy |first1=Peter |last1=Stone |first2=Greg |last2=Gordon |date=January 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118193719/https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article127231799.html |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}} Investigations into Carter Page, Paul Manafort and Roger Stone were underway on January 19, the eve of the presidential inauguration.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/us/politics/trump-russia-associates-investigation.html|title=Intercepted Russian Communications Part of Inquiry Into Trump Associates |first1=Michael S. |last1=Schmidt |author2-link=Matthew Rosenberg |first2=Matthew |last2=Rosenberg |author3-link=Adam Goldman |first3=Adam |last3=Goldman |author4-link=Matt Apuzzo |date=January 19, 2017 |first4=Matt |last4=Apuzzo |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=January 20, 2017|author1-link=Michael S. Schmidt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121013525/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/us/politics/trump-russia-associates-investigation.html |archive-date=Jan 21, 2017 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}

By January 2018, the FBI was investigating the possible funneling of illegal money by Aleksandr Torshin, a deputy governor of the Central Bank of Russia, through the National Rifle Association of America, which was then used to help Donald Trump win the presidency.{{cite news |url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article195231139.html |title=FBI investigating whether Russian money went to NRA to help Trump |last1=Stone |first1=Peter |last2=Gordon |first2=Greg |date=January 18, 2018 |work=McClatchy DC |access-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118125247/https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article195231139.html |archive-date=January 18, 2018 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/369488-fbi-looking-into-whether-russian-banker-gave-money-to-nra-to-support-trump/ |title=FBI looking into whether Russian banker gave money to NRA to support Trump: report |last=Savransky |first=Rebecca |date=January 18, 2018 |work=The Hill |access-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118135739/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/369488-fbi-looking-into-whether-russian-banker-gave-money-to-nra-to-support-trump/ |archive-date=Jan 18, 2018 |url-status=live}} Torshin is known to have close connections both to Russia's president Vladimir Putin and to the NRA, and he has been charged with money laundering in other countries.

The NRA reported spending $30 million to support the 2016 Trump campaign, three times what it spent on Mitt Romney in 2012, and spent more than any other independent group including the leading Trump superPAC.{{cite news |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/11/the-nra-placed-big-bets-on-the-2016-election-and-won-almost-all-of-them/ |title=The NRA Placed Big Bets on the 2016 Election, and Won Almost All of Them |last=Spies |first=Mike |date=November 9, 2016 |work=Open Secrets |access-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-date=January 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118180354/https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/11/the-nra-placed-big-bets-on-the-2016-election-and-won-almost-all-of-them/ |url-status=live}} Sources with connections to the NRA have stated that the actual amount spent was much higher than $30 million. The subunits within the organization which made the donations are not generally required to disclose their donors.

Spanish special prosecutor José Grinda Gonzalez has said that in early 2018 the Spanish police gave wiretapped audio to the FBI of telephone discussions between Torshin, and convicted money launderer and mafia boss Alexander Romanov. Torshin met with Donald Trump Jr. at an NRA event in May 2016 while attempting to broker a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.Multiple sources:

• {{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-obtains-alexander-torshin-wiretaps-from-spanish-police-2018-5 |title=The FBI has obtained wiretaps of a Putin ally tied to the NRA who met with Trump Jr. during the campaign |website=Business Insider |date=May 26, 2018 |access-date=May 29, 2018 |last=Sheth |first=Sonam |archive-date=September 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906143527/https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-obtains-alexander-torshin-wiretaps-from-spanish-police-2018-5 |url-status=live}}
• {{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/389499-fbi-obtained-wiretap-conversations-of-kremlin-linked-banker-who-met/ |title=FBI obtained wiretap conversations of Kremlin-linked banker who met with Trump Jr: report |website=The Hill |date=May 26, 2018 |access-date=May 29, 2018 |last=Delk |first=Josh}}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.newsweek.com/trump-jr-should-be-concerned-over-putin-allys-wiretapped-calls-spanish-945753 |title=Trump Jr. Should Be 'concerned': Putin Ally's Wiretapped Calls Sent to FBI, Says Spanish Prosecutor |website=Newsweek |date=May 26, 2018 |access-date=May 29, 2018 |last=Porter |first=Tom |archive-date=May 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528233818/http://www.newsweek.com/trump-jr-should-be-concerned-over-putin-allys-wiretapped-calls-spanish-945753 |url-status=live}}

Maria Butina, a Russian anti-gun control activist who has served as a special assistant to Torshin and came to the U.S. on a student visa to attend university classes in Washington, claimed both before and after the election that she was part of the Trump campaign's communications with Russia.{{cite news |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-kremlin-and-gop-have-a-new-friendand-boy-does-she-love-guns |title=The Kremlin and GOP Have a New Friend—and Boy, Does She Love Guns |last=Mak |first=Tim |date=February 23, 2017 |work=The Daily Beast |access-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-date=July 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717014315/https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-kremlin-and-gop-have-a-new-friendand-boy-does-she-love-guns |url-status=live}} Like Torshin, she cultivated a close relationship with the NRA.{{cite web |title=Part 1: Meet the Woman Working With the NRA and Fighting For Gun Rights in Russia |url=https://townhall.com/columnists/katiepavlich/2014/05/06/meet-the-woman-fighting-for-gun-rights-in-russia-n1830491 |website=Townhall |date=May 6, 2014 |access-date=April 8, 2018 |last=Pavlich |first=Katie |url-status=live |archive-date=February 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222161815/https://townhall.com/columnists/katiepavlich/2014/05/06/meet-the-woman-fighting-for-gun-rights-in-russia-n1830491}} In February 2016, Butina started a consulting business called Bridges LLC with Republican political operative Paul Erickson.{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/01/590076949/depth-of-russian-politicians-cultivation-of-nra-ties-revealed |title=Depth Of Russian Politician's Cultivation Of NRA Ties Revealed |work=NPR |date=March 1, 2018 |last=Mak |first=Tim |url-status=live |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715200921/https://www.npr.org/2018/03/01/590076949/depth-of-russian-politicians-cultivation-of-nra-ties-revealed}} During Trump's presidential campaign Erickson contacted Rick Dearborn, one of Trump's advisors, writing in an email that he had close ties both to the NRA and to Russia, and asking how a back-channel meeting between Trump and Putin could be set up. The email was later turned over to federal investigators as part of the inquiry into Russia's meddling in the presidential election.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/03/us/politics/trump-putin-russia-nra-campaign.html |title=Operative Offered Trump Campaign 'Kremlin Connection' Using N.R.A. Ties |last=Fandos |first=Nicholas |date=December 3, 2017 |work=The New York Times |access-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-date=December 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203121011/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/03/us/politics/trump-putin-russia-nra-campaign.html |url-status=live}} On July 15, 2018, Butina was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and charged with conspiring to act as an unregistered Russian agent who had attempted to create a backchannel of communications between American Republicans/conservatives and Russian officials by infiltrating the National Rifle Association, the National Prayer Breakfast, and conservative religious organizations.{{cite press release |title=Russian National Charged in Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of the Russian Federation Within the United States |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/russian-national-charged-conspiracy-act-agent-russian-federation-within-united-states |access-date=July 16, 2018 |website=Justice.gov |date=July 16, 2018 |language=en |url-status=live |archive-date=July 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717034454/http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/russian-national-charged-conspiracy-act-agent-russian-federation-within-united-states}}

As of April 2018, Mueller's investigators were examining whether Russian oligarchs directly or indirectly provided illegal cash donations to the Trump campaign and inauguration. Investigators were examining whether oligarchs invested in American companies or think tanks having political action committees connected to the campaign, as well as money funneled through American straw donors to the Trump campaign and inaugural fund. At least one oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg, was detained and his electronic devices searched as he arrived at a New York area airport on his private jet in early 2018.{{cite news |date=April 5, 2018 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/04/politics/mueller-special-counsel-investigation-russian-oligarchs/index.html |title=Exclusive: Mueller's team questioning Russian oligarchs |first1=Kara |last1=Scannell |first2=Shimon |last2=Prokupecz |work=CNN |access-date=April 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404210728/https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/04/politics/mueller-special-counsel-investigation-russian-oligarchs/index.html |archive-date=April 4, 2018 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |first1=Adam |last1=Goldman |first2=Ben |last2=Protess |first3=William K. |last3=Rashbaum |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/us/politics/viktor-vekselberg-mueller-investigation.html |title=Viktor Vekselberg, Russian Billionaire, Was Questioned by Mueller's Investigators |date=May 4, 2018 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=May 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504235139/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/us/politics/viktor-vekselberg-mueller-investigation.html |archive-date=May 4, 2018 |url-status=live}} Vekselberg was questioned about hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments made to Michael Cohen after the election, through Columbus Nova, the American affiliate of Vekselberg's Renova Group.{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/08/politics/robert-mueller-russian-oligarch-payments-michael-cohen/index.html |title=Mueller's team questions Russian oligarch about payments to Cohen |first1=Kara |last1=Scannell |first2=Shimon |last2=Prokupecz |website=CNN |date=May 8, 2018 |access-date=March 23, 2019 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914031536/https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/08/politics/robert-mueller-russian-oligarch-payments-michael-cohen/index.html |url-status=live}} Another oligarch was also detained on a recent trip to the United States, but it is unclear if he was searched. Investigators have also asked a third oligarch who has not traveled to the United States to voluntarily provide documents and an interview.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

File:John Brennan.jpg, Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security, in the Oval Office, January 4, 2010]]

In part because U.S. intelligence agencies cannot surveil U.S. citizens without a warrant, they were slow to recognize the pattern of Russia's efforts. From late 2015 until the summer of 2016, during routine surveillance of Russians, several countries discovered "suspicious 'interactions' between figures connected to Trump and known or suspected Russian agents". The UK, Germany, Estonia, Poland, and Australia (and possibly the Netherlands and France) relayed their discoveries to the U.S.{{cite news |title=British spies were first to spot Trump team's links with Russia |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/13/british-spies-first-to-spot-trump-team-links-russia |date=April 13, 2017 |last1=Harding |first1=Luke |last2=Kirchgaessner |first2=Stephanie |last3=Hopkins |first3=Nick |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=April 13, 2017 |archive-date=April 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170413135157/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/13/british-spies-first-to-spot-trump-team-links-russia |url-status=live}}

Because the materials were highly sensitive, GCHQ director Robert Hannigan contacted CIA director John O. Brennan directly to give him information. Concerned, Brennan gave classified briefings to U.S. Congress' "Gang of Eight" during late August and September 2016.{{cite news |title=C.I.A. Had Evidence of Russian Effort to Help Trump Earlier Than Believed |date=April 6, 2017 |author=Lichtblau, Eric |author-link=Eric Lichtblau |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/us/trump-russia-cia-john-brennan.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=April 13, 2017 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=April 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412114614/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/us/trump-russia-cia-john-brennan.html |url-status=live}} Referring only to intelligence allies and not to specific sources, Brennan told the Gang of Eight he had received evidence that Russia might be trying to help Trump win the U.S. election. It was later revealed that the CIA had obtained intelligence from "sources inside the Russian government" that stated that Putin gave direct orders to disparage Clinton and help Trump,{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/06/23/putin-denied-meddling-in-the-u-s-election-the-cia-caught-him-doing-just-that/ |title=Putin denied meddling in the U.S. election. The CIA caught him doing just that. |newspaper=The Washington Post |first=Greg |last=Miller |date=June 23, 2017 |access-date=June 24, 2017 |archive-date=June 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624025916/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/06/23/putin-denied-meddling-in-the-u-s-election-the-cia-caught-him-doing-just-that/ |url-status=live}} information that was first voiced in the Steele dossier six months before the January 2017 ODNI report arrived at the same conclusion.{{cite news |last=Levine |first=Mike |title=FBI vets: What many are missing about the infamous 'dossier' amid Russia probe |agency=ABC News |date=January 12, 2018 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/fbi-vets-missing-infamous-dossier-amid-russia-probe/story?id=52309501 |access-date=February 26, 2018 |quote=some of the dossier's broad implications — particularly that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an operation to boost Trump and sow discord within the U.S. and abroad — now ring true and were embedded in the memo Steele shared with the FBI before the agency decided to open an investigation. |archive-date=February 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225031800/http://abcnews.go.com/US/fbi-vets-missing-infamous-dossier-amid-russia-probe/story?id=52309501 |url-status=live}}

Mitch McConnell, who was Senate Majority Leader and a member of the Gang of Eight, discouraged members and the White House from speaking publicly about the CIA's assessment about Russian interference,{{cite web | last=Neuman | first=Scott | date=January 24, 2018 | title=Biden: McConnell Refused To Sign Bipartisan Statement On Russian Interference | website=NPR | url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/24/580171396/biden-mcconnell-refused-to-sign-bipartisan-statement-on-russian-interference | access-date=August 28, 2024 | quote=Former Vice President Joe Biden says he and President Barack Obama decided not to speak out publicly on Russian interference during the 2016 campaign after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to sign a bipartisan statement condemning the Kremlin's role... However, McConnell "wanted no part of having a bipartisan commitment saying, essentially, 'Russia's doing this. Stop,' " he said. | archive-date=August 28, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240828195718/https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/24/580171396/biden-mcconnell-refused-to-sign-bipartisan-statement-on-russian-interference | url-status=live}}{{cite web | last1=Kim | first1=Seung Min | last2=Everett | first2=Burgess | title=McConnell backs congressional investigation into Russian interference | website=Politico | date=December 12, 2016 | url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/mcconnell-backs-congressional-investigation-into-russian-interference-232504 | access-date=August 28, 2024 | quote= McConnell not only raised questions about the veracity of intelligence that found Russia was interfering in the election to aid Donald Trump, but that he would view any attempt from the White House to raise the issue publicly a partisan act. Outgoing Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) hinted on CNN that Republicans killed an attempt to go public with the CIA's assessment about Russian interference.}} rejected calls for the creation of a select panel to investigate Russian meddling,{{cite web | last=Daly | first=Matthew | title=McConnell rejects calls for select panel on Russian meddling | website=Associated Press | date=December 20, 2016 | url=https://apnews.com/article/a3a56e8adfb24f508c68f1fa30f1dfe4 | access-date=August 28, 2024 | archive-date=August 28, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240828195724/https://apnews.com/article/a3a56e8adfb24f508c68f1fa30f1dfe4 | url-status=live}} and blocked debate of an election security bill, earning himself the nickname "Moscow Mitch".{{cite web | last=Conley | first=Julia | title=McConnell Dubbed 'Moscow Mitch' for Blocking Debate on Election Security Bill Just As Senate Report Details 2016 Russian Interference | website=Common Dreams | date=July 26, 2019 | url=https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/07/26/mcconnell-dubbed-moscow-mitch-blocking-debate-election-security-bill-just-senate | access-date=August 28, 2024 | archive-date=August 28, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240828195718/https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/07/26/mcconnell-dubbed-moscow-mitch-blocking-debate-election-security-bill-just-senate | url-status=live}}{{cite news | last=Kane | first=Paul | title=McConnell defends blocking election security bill, rejects criticism he is aiding Russia | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=July 29, 2019 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mcconnell-defends-blocking-election-security-bill-rejects-criticism-he-is-aiding-russia/2019/07/29/08dca6d4-b239-11e9-951e-de024209545d_story.html | access-date=August 28, 2024 | archive-date=December 21, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221051222/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mcconnell-defends-blocking-election-security-bill-rejects-criticism-he-is-aiding-russia/2019/07/29/08dca6d4-b239-11e9-951e-de024209545d_story.html | url-status=live}}

The first public U.S. government assertion of Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election came in a joint statement on September 22, 2016, by Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrats on the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, respectively.{{Cite news |access-date=January 19, 2024 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/key-lawmakers-accuse-russia-of-campaign-to-disrupt-us-election/2016/09/22/afc9fc80-810e-11e6-b002-307601806392_story.html |first1=Greg |last1=Miller |date=September 22, 2016 |title=Key lawmakers accuse Russia of campaign to disrupt U.S. election |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193713/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/key-lawmakers-accuse-russia-of-campaign-to-disrupt-us-election/2016/09/22/afc9fc80-810e-11e6-b002-307601806392_story.html |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2016/9/feinstein-schiff-statement-on-russian-hacking |title=Feinstein, Schiff Statement on Russian Hacking |website=United States Senator for California |access-date=March 29, 2019 |archive-date=November 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108210625/https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2016/9/feinstein-schiff-statement-on-russian-hacking |url-status=live}}

On May 23, 2017, Brennan stated to the House Intelligence Committee that Russia "brazenly interfered" in the 2016 U.S. elections. He said he first picked up on Russia's active meddling "last summer",{{cite news |last1=Rosenberg |first1=Matthew |author1-link=Matthew Rosenberg |last2=Goldman |first2=Adam |author2-link=Adam Goldman |last3=Apuzzo |first3=Matt |author3-link=Matt Apuzzo |title=Top Russian Officials Discussed How to Influence Trump Aides Last Summer |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/24/us/politics/russia-trump-manafort-flynn.html |work=The New York Times |date=May 24, 2017 |access-date=May 30, 2017 |archive-date=May 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530051116/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/24/us/politics/russia-trump-manafort-flynn.html |url-status=live}} and that he had on August 4, 2016, warned his counterpart at Russia's FSB intelligence agency, Alexander Bortnikov, against further interference.{{cite news |last1=LoBianco |first1=Tom |author-link=Kurt Eichenwald |title=Ex-CIA chief John Brennan: Russians contacted Trump campaign |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/23/politics/john-brennan-house-intelligence-committee/index.html |work=CNN |date=May 23, 2017 |access-date=January 19, 2024 |archive-date=January 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119140905/https://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/23/politics/john-brennan-house-intelligence-committee/index.html |url-status=live}}

File:James R. Clapper official portrait.jpg

At the Aspen security conference in summer 2016, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Vladimir Putin wanted to retaliate against perceived U.S. intervention in Russian affairs with the 2011–13 Russian protests and the ousting of Viktor Yanukovych in the Revolution of Dignity.{{cite news |website=The Daily Beast |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/vladimir-putin-wins-the-election-no-matter-who-the-next-president-is |title=Vladimir Putin Wins the Election No Matter Who The Next President Is |date=November 4, 2016 |access-date=December 2, 2016 |last1=Harris |first1=Shane |archive-date=October 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019232330/https://www.thedailybeast.com/vladimir-putin-wins-the-election-no-matter-who-the-next-president-is |url-status=live}} In July 2016, consensus grew within the CIA that Russia had hacked the DNC.{{cite news |date=July 27, 2016 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/us/politics/spy-agency-consensus-grows-that-russia-hacked-dnc.html |first1=David E. |last1=Sanger |first2=Eric |last2=Schmitt |title=Spy Agency Consensus Grows That Russia Hacked D.N.C. |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=July 26, 2016 |archive-date=May 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502041948/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/us/politics/spy-agency-consensus-grows-that-russia-hacked-dnc.html |url-status=live}} In a joint statement on October 7, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence expressed confidence that Russia had interfered in the presidential election by stealing emails from politicians and U.S. groups and publicizing the information.{{cite news |date=October 7, 2016 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/07/us-russia-dnc-hack-interfering-presidential-election |title=US officially accuses Russia of hacking DNC and interfering with election |last2=Thielman |first2=Sam |newspaper=The Guardian |last1=Ackerman |first1=Spencer |author-link=Spencer Ackerman |access-date=October 7, 2016 |archive-date=October 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007222925/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/07/us-russia-dnc-hack-interfering-presidential-election |url-status=live}} On December 2, intelligence sources told CNN they had gained confidence that Russia's efforts were aimed at helping Trump win the election.{{cite news |first1=Jim |last1=Sciutto |author-link=Jim Sciutto |first2=Manu |last2=Raju |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/02/politics/democrats-russian-hacking-intelligence/ |title=Democrats want Russian hacking intelligence declassified |work=CNN |access-date=January 19, 2024 |date=December 2, 2016 |archive-date=September 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906143540/https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/02/politics/democrats-russian-hacking-intelligence/ |url-status=live}}

On October 7, the U.S. government formally accused Russia of hacking the DNC's computer networks to interfere in the 2016 presidential election with the help of organizations like WikiLeaks. The Department of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security claimed in their joint statement, "The recent disclosures of alleged hacked e-mails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts."{{cite news |url=https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/10/07/joint-statement-department-homeland-security-and-office-director-national |title=Joint Statement from the Department Of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security |publisher=Department of Homeland Security |date=October 7, 2016 |access-date=November 3, 2017 |archive-date=December 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210004335/https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/10/07/joint-statement-department-homeland-security-and-office-director-national |url-status=live}} This was corroborated by a report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), in conjunction with the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA on January 6, 2017.

On December 9, the CIA told U.S. legislators the U.S. Intelligence Community had concluded, in a consensus view, that Russia conducted operations to assist Donald Trump in winning the presidency, stating that "individuals with connections to the Russian government", previously known to the intelligence community, had given WikiLeaks hacked emails from the DNC and John Podesta.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-orders-review-of-russian-hacking-during-presidential-campaign/2016/12/09/31d6b300-be2a-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html |title=Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House |newspaper=The Washington Post |last1=Entous |first1=Adam |last2=Nakashima |first2=Ellen |last3=Miller |first3=Greg |date=December 9, 2016 |access-date=December 10, 2016 |archive-date=November 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101110959/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-orders-review-of-russian-hacking-during-presidential-campaign/2016/12/09/31d6b300-be2a-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html |url-status=live}} The agencies further stated that Russia had hacked the RNC as well, but did not leak information obtained from there.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/us/obama-russia-election-hack.html |title=Russian Hackers Acted to Aid Trump in Election, U.S. Says |newspaper=The New York Times |last1=Sanger |first1=David E. |author-link=David E. Sanger |last2=Shane |first2=Scott |date=December 9, 2016 |access-date=December 10, 2016 |archive-date=December 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209224603/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/us/obama-russia-election-hack.html |url-status=live}} These assessments were based on evidence obtained before the election.{{cite news |last1=Mazzetti |first1=Mark |author-link=Mark Mazzetti |last2=Lichtblau |first2=Eric |author2-link=Eric Lichtblau |title=C.I.A. Judgment on Russia Built on Swell of Evidence |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/11/us/politics/cia-judgment-intelligence-russia-hacking-evidence.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 11, 2016 |access-date=December 12, 2016 |archive-date=December 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161212032626/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/11/us/politics/cia-judgment-intelligence-russia-hacking-evidence.html |url-status=live}}

FBI has been investigating the Russian government's attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election—including whether campaign associates of Donald Trump's were involved in Russia's efforts—since July 31, 2016.Multiple sources:

• {{Cite news |first1=Robert |last1=Costa |first2=Carol D. |last2=Leonnig |first3=Tom |last3=Hamburger |first4=Devlin |last4=Barrett |date=May 18, 2018 |access-date=January 19, 2024 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-fbi-source-for-russia-investigation-met-with-three-trump-advisers-during-campaign/2018/05/18/9778d9f0-5aea-11e8-b656-a5f8c2a9295d_story.html |title=Secret FBI source for Russia investigation met with three Trump advisers during campaign |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=May 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180519014530/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-fbi-source-for-russia-investigation-met-with-three-trump-advisers-during-campaign/2018/05/18/9778d9f0-5aea-11e8-b656-a5f8c2a9295d_story.html |url-status=live}}
• {{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-sends-classified-letter-to-house-gop-on-use-of-informants-in-trump-campaign|title=FBI sends classified letter to House GOP on use of informants in Trump campaign|first=Gregg|last=Re|date=June 24, 2018|website=Fox News|access-date=March 28, 2019|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193702/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-sends-classified-letter-to-house-gop-on-use-of-informants-in-trump-campaign|url-status=live}}
• {{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/16/us/politics/russia-investigation-guide.html|title=The Russia Investigation Is Complicated. Here's What It All Means.|first=Mikayla|last=Bouchard|work=The New York Times|date=May 16, 2018|via=NYTimes.com|access-date=March 28, 2019|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193703/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/16/us/politics/russia-investigation-guide.html|url-status=live}}

Following the July 22 publication of a large number of emails by WikiLeaks, the FBI announced that it would investigate the theft of DNC emails.

An earlier event investigated by the FBI was a May 2016 meeting between the Donald Trump campaign foreign policy advisor, George Papadopoulos, and Alexander Downer in a London wine bar, where Papadopoulos disclosed his inside knowledge of a large trove of Hillary Clinton emails that could potentially damage her campaign.{{cite news |last1=LaFraniere |first1=Sharon |last2=Mazzetti |first2=Mark |last3=Apuzzo |first3=Matt |title=How the Russia Inquiry Began: A Campaign Aide, Drinks and Talk of Political Dirt |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/30/us/politics/how-fbi-russia-investigation-began-george-papadopoulos.html |access-date=January 30, 2019 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 30, 2017 |archive-date=May 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180517044352/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/30/us/politics/how-fbi-russia-investigation-began-george-papadopoulos.html |url-status=live}}

Papadopoulos had gained this knowledge on March 14, 2016, when he held a meeting with Joseph Mifsud, who told Papadopoulos the Russians had "dirt" on Clinton in the form of thousands of stolen emails. These were from the hackings of the DNC.{{cite news |last=Kelly |first=Meg |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/11/13/all-of-the-known-times-the-trump-campaign-met-with-russians |title=All the known times the Trump campaign met with Russians |date=November 13, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=March 6, 2018 |archive-date=March 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313185400/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/11/13/all-of-the-known-times-the-trump-campaign-met-with-russians/ |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=LaFraniere |first1=Sharon |last2=Mazzetti |first2=Mark |last3=Apuzzo |first3=Matt |title=How the Russia Inquiry Began: A Campaign Aide, Drinks and Talk of Political Dirt |website=The New York Times |date=December 30, 2017 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/30/us/politics/how-fbi-russia-investigation-began-george-papadopoulos.html |access-date=January 21, 2018 |archive-date=May 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180517044352/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/30/us/politics/how-fbi-russia-investigation-began-george-papadopoulos.html |url-status=live}}

Although the public were informed on May 18, 2016, that both presidential campaigns were targeted by hackers, they were not told if the hacks were successful or the identity of the hackers.{{cite news | last=Nakashima | first=Ellen | title=National intelligence director: Hackers have targeted 2016 presidential campaigns | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=May 18, 2016 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/national-intelligence-director-hackers-have-tried-to-spy-on-2016-presidential-campaigns/2016/05/18/2b1745c0-1d0d-11e6-b6e0-c53b7ef63b45_story.html | access-date=September 26, 2024}} It was first on June 14, 2016, that the hacking of the DNC computers first became public knowledge.{{cite news |title=Russian government hackers penetrated DNC, stole opposition research on Trump |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/russian-government-hackers-penetrated-dnc-stole-opposition-research-on-trump/2016/06/14/cf006cb4-316e-11e6-8ff7-7b6c1998b7a0_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 14, 2016|access-date=March 5, 2018 |last1=Nakashima |first1=Ellen}}

Papadopoulos later bragged "that the Trump campaign was aware the Russian government had dirt on Hillary Clinton".{{cite web |last=Sipher |first=John |date=January 11, 2018 |title=What Should We Make of The Dirty Dossier at the Heart of the Mueller Investigation? |website=Newsweek |url=https://www.newsweek.com/what-should-we-make-dirty-dossier-heart-mueller-investigation-778496 |access-date=May 11, 2018 |archive-date=May 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180510234517/http://www.newsweek.com/what-should-we-make-dirty-dossier-heart-mueller-investigation-778496 |url-status=live}} In February 2019, Michael Cohen implicated Trump before the U.S. Congress, writing that Trump had knowledge that Roger Stone was communicating with WikiLeaks about releasing emails stolen from the DNC in 2016.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/02/27/i-am-ashamed-because-i-know-what-mr-trump-is-michael-cohen-reportedly-testify-that-trump-knew-wikileaks-plot/ |title=Michael Cohen to testify that Trump knew of WikiLeaks plot |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 27, 2019 |access-date=February 27, 2019 |first1=Tim |last1=Elfrink |first2=Meagan |last2=Flynn |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193720/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/02/27/i-am-ashamed-because-i-know-what-mr-trump-is-michael-cohen-reportedly-testify-that-trump-knew-wikileaks-plot/ |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-michael-cohens-full-prepared-testimony-on-trumps-russia-plans-wikileaks-email-dump |title=Read Michael Cohen's full prepared testimony on Trump's Russia plans, WikiLeaks email dump |work=PBS |date=February 27, 2019 |access-date=February 27, 2019 |first=Travis |last=Daub |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193820/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-michael-cohens-full-prepared-testimony-on-trumps-russia-plans-wikileaks-email-dump |url-status=live}}

John Podesta later testified before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that in April 2016, the DNC did not know their computers had been hacked, leading Adam Schiff to state: "So if the [Clinton] campaign wasn't aware in April that the hacking had even occurred, the first campaign to be notified the Russians were in possession of stolen emails would have been the Trump campaign through Mr. Papadopoulos."{{cite web |date=December 4, 2017 |title=Transcript of John Podesta interview before House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence |website=intelligence.house.gov |url=https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/jp239.pdf |access-date=May 23, 2020 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193623/https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/jp239.pdf |url-status=dead}}

In June 2016, the FBI notified the Illinois Republican Party that some of its email accounts may have been hacked.{{cite news |last1=Pearson |first1=Rick |title=FBI told state GOP in June its emails had been hacked |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-republican-party-email-hack-met-1212-20161211-story.html |date=December 16, 2016 |access-date=January 19, 2024 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |archive-date=January 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119140905/https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-republican-party-email-hack-met-1212-20161211-story.html |url-status=live}} In December 2016, an FBI official stated that Russian attempts to access the RNC server were unsuccessful. In an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, RNC chair Reince Priebus stated they communicated with the FBI when they learned about the DNC hacks, and a review determined their servers were secure. On January 10, 2017, FBI Director James Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Russia succeeded in "collecting some information from Republican-affiliated targets but did not leak it to the public".

On October 31, 2016, before the election, The New York Times said the FBI had been examining possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russia, but did not find any clear links at that time. At the time, FBI officials thought Russia was motivated to undermine confidence in the U.S. political process rather than specifically support Trump.{{cite news|last1=Lichtblau|first1=Eric|author-link=Eric Lichtblau|last2=Myers|first2=Steven Lee|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/us/politics/fbi-russia-election-donald-trump.html|title=Investigating Donald Trump, F.B.I. Sees No Clear Link to Russia|work=The New York Times|date=October 31, 2016|access-date=December 11, 2016|archive-date=November 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101033021/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/us/politics/fbi-russia-election-donald-trump.html|url-status=live}} During a House Intelligence Committee hearing in early December, the CIA said it was certain of Russia's intent to help Trump.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-and-cia-give-differing-accounts-to-lawmakers-on-russias-motives-in-2016-hacks/2016/12/10/c6dfadfa-bef0-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html |title=FBI and CIA give differing accounts to lawmakers on Russia's motives in 2016 hacks |newspaper=The Washington Post |first1=Ellen |last1=Nakashima |first2=Adam |last2=Entous |date=December 10, 2016 |access-date=March 4, 2017 |archive-date=December 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211205145/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-and-cia-give-differing-accounts-to-lawmakers-on-russias-motives-in-2016-hacks/2016/12/10/c6dfadfa-bef0-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html |url-status=live}} On December 16, 2016, CIA Director John O. Brennan sent a message to his staff saying he had spoken with FBI Director James Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and that all agreed with the CIA's conclusion that Russia interfered in the presidential election with the motive of supporting Donald Trump's candidacy.{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/white-house-suggests-putin-involved-us-hacking-44231311 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161217014318/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/white-house-suggests-putin-involved-us-hacking-44231311 |archive-date=December 17, 2016 |date=December 16, 2016 |work=ABC News |agency=Associated Press |title=Official: FBI Backs CIA Conclusion on Russian Hacking Motive |first1=Josh |last1=Lederman |first2=Bradley |last2=Klapper |access-date=December 16, 2016 |url-status=dead}}

On December 29, 2016, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released an unclassified report{{cite web |url=https://www.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/publications/JAR_16-20296A_GRIZZLY%20STEPPE-2016-1229.pdf |title=GRIZZLY STEPPE—Russian Malicious Cyber Activity |author=U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation |date=December 29, 2016 |publisher=United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team |access-date=January 2, 2017 |archive-date=January 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101221758/https://www.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/publications/JAR_16-20296A_GRIZZLY%20STEPPE-2016-1229.pdf |url-status=live}} that gave new technical details regarding methods used by Russian intelligence services for affecting the U.S. election, government, political organizations and private sector.{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-30/russia-s-grizzly-steppe-cyberattacks-started-simply-u-s-says |title=Russia 'Grizzly Steppe' Hacking Started Simply, U.S. Says |publisher=Bloomberg News |last=Strohm |first=Chris |date=December 30, 2016 |access-date=January 4, 2017 |archive-date=January 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105180740/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-30/russia-s-grizzly-steppe-cyberattacks-started-simply-u-s-says |url-status=live}}{{cite press release |url=https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/joint-dhs-odni-fbi-statement-on-russian-malicious-cyber-activity |title=Joint DHS, ODNI, FBI Statement on Russian Malicious Cyber Activity |work=FBI National Press Office |date=December 29, 2016 |access-date=December 30, 2016 |archive-date=December 31, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231074701/https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/joint-dhs-odni-fbi-statement-on-russian-malicious-cyber-activity |url-status=live}}

The report included malware samples and other technical details as evidence that the Russian government had hacked the Democratic National Committee.{{cite news |last=Sanger |first=David E. |author-link=David E. Sanger |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/us/politics/russia-election-hacking-sanctions.html?_r=0 |title=Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking |work=The New York Times |date=December 29, 2016 |access-date=December 29, 2016 |archive-date=December 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230013600/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/us/politics/russia-election-hacking-sanctions.html?_r=0 |url-status=live}} Alongside the report, DHS published Internet Protocol addresses, malware, and files used by Russian hackers. An article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung discussed the difficulty of proof in matters of cybersecurity. One analyst told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that U.S. intelligence services could be keeping some information secret to protect their sources and analysis methods.{{cite news |title=Viele Indizien gegen Russland, aber kaum Beweise |trans-title=Lots of evidence against Russia, but hardly any proof |first1=Jannis |last1=Brühl |first2=Hakan |last2=Tanriverdi |work=Süddeutsche Zeitung |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/digital/hacking-vorwuerfe-gegen-russland-viele-indizien-gegen-russland-aber-kaum-beweise-1.3316005 |language=de |date=December 30, 2016 |access-date=January 1, 2017 |archive-date=December 31, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231122616/http://www.sueddeutsche.de/digital/hacking-vorwuerfe-gegen-russland-viele-indizien-gegen-russland-aber-kaum-beweise-1.3316005 |url-status=live}} Clapper later said the classified version contained "a lot of the substantiation that could not be put in the [public] report".

On March 20, 2017, during public testimony to the House Intelligence Committee, FBI director James Comey confirmed the existence of an FBI investigation into Russian interference and Russian links to the Trump campaign, including the question of whether there had been any coordination between the campaign and the Russians.{{cite news |first=Stephen |last=Collinson |title=Comey confirms FBI investigating Russia, Trump ties |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/20/politics/comey-hearing-russia-wiretapping/index.html |work=CNN |date=March 20, 2017 |access-date=January 19, 2024 |archive-date=April 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411215303/https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/20/politics/comey-hearing-russia-wiretapping/index.html |url-status=live}} He said the investigation began in July 2016.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-comey-fbi-launched-investigation-into-1490023083-htmlstory.html|title=Comey says FBI began investigation into Russia meddling in July|last1=Wilber|first1=Del Quentin|author-link=Del Quentin Wilber|last2=Cloud|first2=Davis S.|date=March 20, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=March 21, 2017|archive-date=March 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321005941/http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-comey-fbi-launched-investigation-into-1490023083-htmlstory.html|url-status=live}} Comey made the unusual decision to reveal the ongoing investigation to Congress, citing benefit to the public good.{{cite news |last=Rosenberg |first=Matthew |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/us/politics/intelligence-committee-russia-donald-trump.html |title=Comey Confirms FBI Investigation |work=The New York Times |date=March 20, 2017 |access-date=March 20, 2017 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427072859/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/us/politics/intelligence-committee-russia-donald-trump.html |url-status=live}} On October 7, 2016, Secretary Johnson and Director Clapper issued a joint statement that the intelligence community is confident the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations, and that the disclosures of hacked e-mails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks are consistent with the Russian-directed efforts. The statement also noted that the Russians have used similar tactics and techniques across Europe and Eurasia to influence public opinion there. On December 29, 2016, DHS and FBI released a Joint Analysis Report (JAR) which further expands on that statement by providing details of the tools and infrastructure used by Russian intelligence services to compromise and exploit networks and infrastructure associated with the recent U.S. election, as well as a range of U.S. government, political and private sector entities.

{{main|Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections}}

On January 6, 2017, after briefing the president, the president-elect, and members of the Senate and House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a de-classified version of the report on Russian activities. The intelligence community assessment (ICA), produced by the CIA, the FBI, the NSA, and the ODNI, asserted that Russia had carried out a massive cyber operation ordered by Russian president Putin with the goal to sabotage the 2016 U.S. elections.{{cite news |last1=Carroll |first1=Lauren |title=17 intelligence organizations or 4? Either way, Russia conclusion still valid |date=July 6, 2017 |url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2017/jul/06/17-intelligence-organizations-or-four-either-way-r/ |work=PolitiFact |access-date=July 11, 2017 |archive-date=September 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906143529/https://www.politifact.com/article/2017/jul/06/17-intelligence-organizations-or-four-either-way-r/ |url-status=live}} The agencies concluded that Putin and the Russian government tried to help Trump win the election by discrediting Hillary Clinton and portraying her negatively relative to Trump, and that Russia had conducted a multipronged cyber campaign consisting of hacking and the extensive use of social media and trolls, as well as open propaganda on Russian-controlled news platforms.{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Greg |last2=Entous |first2=Adam |title=Declassified report says Putin 'ordered' effort to undermine faith in U.S. election and help Trump |access-date=January 19, 2024 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/intelligence-chiefs-expected-in-new-york-to-brief-trump-on-russian-hacking/2017/01/06/5f591416-d41a-11e6-9cb0-54ab630851e8_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 6, 2017 |archive-date=January 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107010016/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/intelligence-chiefs-expected-in-new-york-to-brief-trump-on-russian-hacking/2017/01/06/5f591416-d41a-11e6-9cb0-54ab630851e8_story.html |url-status=live}} The ICA did not publicize how the data was collected or the evidence underlying its conclusions.{{cite news |last=Sanger |first=David E. |title=Putin Ordered 'Influence Campaign' Aimed at U.S. Election, Report Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/us/politics/russia-hack-report.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 6, 2017 |access-date=May 30, 2017 |archive-date=February 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228175134/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/us/politics/russia-hack-report.html |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/top-intelligence-officials-stop-short-providing-evidence-russian-hacking-senate-hearing/ |title=Top intelligence officials stop short of providing evidence of Russian hacking at Senate hearing |work=PBS NewsHour |date=January 10, 2017 |access-date=May 30, 2017 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193706/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/top-intelligence-officials-stop-short-providing-evidence-russian-hacking-senate-hearing |url-status=live}} Clapper said the classified version contained substantiation that could not be made public. A large part of the ICA was dedicated to criticizing Russian TV channel RT America, which it described as a "messaging tool" for a "Kremlin-directed campaign to undermine faith in the U.S. Government and fuel political protest."{{cite web |url=https://www.inverse.com/article/26079-rt-america-intelligence-report |title=RT America Is Put in the Spotlight on Damning Intelligence Report |publisher=Inverse |first=Peter |last=Hess |date=January 6, 2017 |access-date=January 15, 2017 |archive-date=January 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116163055/https://www.inverse.com/article/26079-rt-america-intelligence-report |url-status=live}}

On March 5, 2017, James Clapper said, in an interview with Chuck Todd on Meet the Press that the January 2017 ICA did not have evidence of collusion, but that it might have become available after he left the government. He agreed with Todd that the "idea of collusion" was not proven at that time.{{cite news |work=Meet The Press |title=Meet The Press 03-05-17 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-03-05-17-n729271 |publisher=NBC News |date=March 5, 2017 |access-date=June 1, 2017 |archive-date=June 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601024812/http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-03-05-17-n729271 |url-status=live}} On May 14, 2017, in an interview with George Stephanopoulos, Clapper explained more about the state of evidence for or against any collusion at the time of the January IC assessment, saying "there was no evidence of any collusion included in that report, that's not to say there wasn't evidence". He also stated he was also unaware of the existence of the formal investigation at that time.{{cite news |date=May 14, 2017 |title='This Week' Transcript 5-14-17: The Firing of Director Comey |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-14-17-firing-director-comey/story?id=47391306 |access-date=December 21, 2019 |archive-date=February 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200211192227/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-14-17-firing-director-comey/story?id=47391306 |url-status=live}} In November 2017, Clapper explained that at the time of the Stephanopoulos interview, he did not know about the efforts of George Papadopoulos to set up meetings between Trump associates and Kremlin officials, nor about the meeting at Trump Tower between Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and a Russian lawyer.{{cite web|last=Bertrand|first=Natasha|author-link=Natasha Bertrand|access-date=January 19, 2024|date=November 12, 2017|title=James Clapper: I didn't know about Papadopoulos, Trump Tower meetings when I said there was no Trump-Russia collusion|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-russia-collusion-james-clapper-papadopoulos-2017-11|website=Business Insider|archive-date=September 6, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906143642/https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-russia-collusion-james-clapper-papadopoulos-2017-11|url-status=live}}

In June 2017, E. W. Priestap, the assistant director of the FBI Counterintelligence Division, told the PBS Newshour program that Russian intelligence "used fake news and propaganda and they also used online amplifiers to spread the information to as many people as possible" during the election.{{cite news |last1=Lardner |first1=Richard |last2=Riechmann |first2=Deb |title=Intel officials detail how Russian cyberattacks sought to interfere with U.S. elections |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/intel-officials-detail-russian-cyberattacks-sought-interfere-u-s-elections |access-date=February 4, 2018 |work=PBS NewsHour |date=June 21, 2017}}

{{Wikinews|Former U.S. FBI Director James Comey testifies about President Trump}}

In testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 8,{{cite web |url=https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/os-jcomey-060817.pdf |title=Statement for the Record—Senate Select Committee on Intelligence |first=James |last=Comey |date=June 7, 2017 |access-date=July 8, 2017 |archive-date=June 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607174725/https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/os-jcomey-060817.pdf |url-status=live}} former FBI Director James Comey said he had "no doubt" Russia interfered in the 2016 election and that the interference was a hostile act.{{cite news |last1=Schofield |first1=Matthew |title=Did Russia interfere in the 2016 elections? No doubt, Comey says |work=McClatchy DC Bureau |url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/congress/article155129289.html |date=June 8, 2017 |access-date=July 7, 2017 |archive-date=September 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906144048/https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/congress/article155129289.html |url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=Full text: James Comey testimony transcript on Trump and Russia |newspaper=Politico |date=June 8, 2017 |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/08/full-text-james-comey-trump-russia-testimony-239295 |access-date=June 9, 2017 |archive-date=May 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510192921/https://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/08/full-text-james-comey-trump-russia-testimony-239295 |url-status=live}} Concerning the motives of his dismissal, Comey said, "I take the president at his word that I was fired because of the Russia investigation. Something about the way I was conducting it, the president felt, created pressure on him he wanted to relieve." He also said that, while he was director, Trump was not under investigation.

At least 17 distinct legal investigations were started to examine aspects of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.{{cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/story/mueller-investigation-trump-russia-complete-guide/|title=A Complete Guide to All 17 (Known) Trump and Russia Investigations|first=Garrett M.|last=Graff|date=December 17, 2018|access-date=March 23, 2019|website=Wired.com|archive-date=March 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322221917/https://www.wired.com/story/mueller-investigation-trump-russia-complete-guide/|url-status=live}}

Members of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee traveled to Ukraine and Poland in 2016 and learned about Russian operations to influence their elections.{{cite news|url=http://www.pressherald.com/2016/12/01/sen-king-russian-involvement-in-u-s-election-an-arrow-aimed-at-the-heart-of-democracy/|title=Angus King: Russian involvement in U.S. election 'an arrow aimed at the heart of democracy'|work=Portland Press Herald|date=December 1, 2016|first=Kevin|last=Miller|access-date=December 2, 2016|archive-date=March 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325134129/https://www.pressherald.com/2016/12/01/sen-king-russian-involvement-in-u-s-election-an-arrow-aimed-at-the-heart-of-democracy/|url-status=live}}

Senator McCain called for a special select committee of the U.S. Senate to investigate Russian meddling in the election,{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-mccain-idUSKBN1400UX|work=Reuters|title=McCain to Trump on Russian hacking: 'The facts are there'—CBS|date=December 11, 2016|access-date=December 11, 2016|archive-date=December 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211234156/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-mccain-idUSKBN1400UX|url-status=live}}{{cite news |date=December 11, 2016 |work=Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/john-mccain-russian-hacking-232481|title=McCain wants select committee to investigate Russian hacking|first=Theodoric|last=Meyer|access-date=September 7, 2018}} and called election meddling an "act of war".{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/30/politics/mccain-cyber-hearing/index.html |title=McCain: Russian cyberintrusions an 'act of war' |first1=Theodore |last1=Schleifer |first2=Deirdre |last2=Walsh |publisher=CNN |access-date=January 14, 2017 |archive-date=January 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114004137/http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/30/politics/mccain-cyber-hearing/index.html |url-status=live}}

The Senate Intelligence Committee began work on its bipartisan inquiry in January 2017.{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/315987-senate-committee-moving-forward-with-russia-hacking-probe/ |title=Senate committee moving forward with Russia hacking probe |work=The Hill |first=Jordain |last=Carney |date=January 24, 2017 |access-date=March 4, 2017 |archive-date=March 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322133853/http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/315987-senate-committee-moving-forward-with-russia-hacking-probe |url-status=live}} In May, the committee voted unanimously to give both chairmen solo subpoena power.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-intelligence-committee-votes-to-give-leaders-solo-subpoena-power/2017/05/25/8ecb655a-4189-11e7-adba-394ee67a7582_story.html|title=Senate Intelligence Committee votes to give leaders solo subpoena power|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 27, 2017|archive-date=May 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170527062225/https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-intelligence-committee-votes-to-give-leaders-solo-subpoena-power/2017/05/25/8ecb655a-4189-11e7-adba-394ee67a7582_story.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite press release|url=https://www.burr.senate.gov/press/releases/notification-senate-intel-committee-grants-chairman-and-vice-chairman-authority-to-issue-subpoenas-|title=Notification: Senate Intel Committee Grants Chairman and Vice Chairman Authority to Issue Subpoenas|author=U.S. Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina|access-date=May 27, 2017|archive-date=May 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525204938/https://www.burr.senate.gov/press/releases/notification-senate-intel-committee-grants-chairman-and-vice-chairman-authority-to-issue-subpoenas-|url-status=dead}} Soon after, the committee issued a subpoena to the Trump campaign for all Russia-related documents, emails, and telephone records.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/05/26/senate-intelligence-committee-requests-trump-campaign-documents/|title=Senate Intelligence Committee requests Trump campaign documents|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 27, 2017|archive-date=May 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170527001126/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/05/26/senate-intelligence-committee-requests-trump-campaign-documents/|url-status=live}} In December, it was also looking at the presidential campaign of Green Party's Jill Stein for potential "collusion with the Russians".{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-intel-committee-investigating-jill-stein-campaign-for-collusion-with-the-russians/2017/12/18/ea7f3f1a-e44b-11e7-833f-155031558ff4_story.html|title=Senate intel committee investigating Jill Stein campaign for 'collusion with the Russians'|last=Demirjian|first=Karoun|date=December 18, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=December 19, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=December 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219020813/https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-intel-committee-investigating-jill-stein-campaign-for-collusion-with-the-russians/2017/12/18/ea7f3f1a-e44b-11e7-833f-155031558ff4_story.html|url-status=live}}

In May 2018, the Senate Intelligence Committee released the interim findings of their bipartisan investigation, finding that Russia interfered in the 2016 election with the goal of helping Trump gain the presidency, stating: "Our staff concluded that the [intelligence community's] conclusions were accurate and on point. The Russian effort was extensive, sophisticated, and ordered by President Putin himself for the purpose of helping Donald Trump and hurting Hillary Clinton."Karoun Demirjian, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/russia-favored-trump-in-2016-senate-panel-says-breaking-with-house-gop/2018/05/16/6cf95a6a-58f6-11e8-8836-a4a123c359ab_story.html Russia favored Trump in 2016, Senate panel says, breaking with House GOP] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516224920/https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/russia-favored-trump-in-2016-senate-panel-says-breaking-with-house-gop/2018/05/16/6cf95a6a-58f6-11e8-8836-a4a123c359ab_story.html |date=May 16, 2018}}, The Washington Post (May 16, 2018).

On January 10, 2018, Senator Ben Cardin of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee released, "Putin's Asymmetric Assault on Democracy in Russia and Europe: Implications for U.S. National Security."{{cite web|url=https://www.cardin.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/us-senator-ben-cardin-releases-report-detailing-two-decades-of-putins-attacks-on-democracy-calling-for-policy-changes-to-counter-kremlin-threat-ahead-of-2018-2020-elections|title=U.S. Senator Ben Cardin Releases Report Detailing Two Decades of Putin's Attacks on Democracy, Calling for Policy Changes to Counter Kremlin Threat Ahead of 2018, 2020 Elections {{!}} U.S. Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland|website=Cardin.senate.gov|language=en|access-date=January 17, 2018|archive-date=February 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214223120/https://www.cardin.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/us-senator-ben-cardin-releases-report-detailing-two-decades-of-putins-attacks-on-democracy-calling-for-policy-changes-to-counter-kremlin-threat-ahead-of-2018-2020-elections|url-status=live}} The report said the interference in the 2016 United States elections was a part of Putin's "asymmetric assault on democracy" worldwide, including targeting elections in a number of countries, such as Britain, France and Germany, by "Moscow-sponsored hacking, internet trolling and financing for extremist political groups".{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/01/10/us/politics/ap-us-trump-russia-probe-congress.html|title=Democratic report warns of Russian meddling in Europe, US|newspaper=The New York Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122235110/https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/01/10/us/politics/ap-us-trump-russia-probe-congress.html|archive-date=January 22, 2018|url-status=dead}}

The Senate Intelligence Committee commissioned two reports that extensively described the Russian campaign to influence social media during the 2016 election.

One report (The Tactics & Tropes of the Internet Research Agency) was produced by the New Knowledge cybersecurity company aided by researchers at Columbia University and Canfield Research LLC. Another (The IRA, Social Media and Political Polarization in the United States, 2012-2018) by the Computational Propaganda Project of Oxford University along with the social media analysis company Graphika.{{cite book |last1=Howard |first1=Philip N. |last2=Ganesh |first2=Bharath |last3=Liotsiou |first3=Dimitra |last4=Kelly |first4=John |last5=François |first5=Camille |title=The IRA, Social Media and Political Polarization in the United States, 2012-2018 |date=2018 |publisher=Computational Propaganda Research Project |url=https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/534-oxford-russia-internet-research-agency/c6588b4a7b940c551c38/optimized/full.pdf#page=1 |access-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193626/https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/534-oxford-russia-internet-research-agency/c6588b4a7b940c551c38/optimized/full.pdf#page=1 |url-status=live}}

The New Knowledge report highlighted "the energy and imagination" of the Russian effort to "sway American opinion and divide the country", and their focus on African-Americans.

The report identified more than 263 million "engagements" (likes, comments, shares, etc.) with Internet Research Agency content and faulted U.S. social media companies for allowing their platforms to be co-opted for foreign propaganda". Examples of efforts included "campaigning for African American voters to boycott elections or follow the wrong voting procedures in 2016", "encouraging extreme right-wing voters to be more confrontational", and "spreading sensationalist, conspiratorial, and other forms of junk political news and misinformation to voters across the political spectrum."

{{Main|Senate Intelligence Committee report on Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election}}

On April 21, 2020, the Senate Intelligence Committee released a unanimous, heavily redacted report reviewing the January 2017 intelligence community assessment on Russian interference.{{Cite report |chapter-url=https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Report_Volume4.pdf |title=Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election |volume=4 |chapter=Review of the Intelligence Community Assessment with Additional Views |series=116th Congress, 1st Session |website=intelligence.senate.gov |access-date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=January 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115154539/https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Report_Volume4.pdf |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Dilanian |first1=Ken |title=Bipartisan Senate report says 2017 intel assessment about Russian interference and Trump was accurate |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/bipartisan-senate-report-says-2017-intel-assessment-about-russian-interference-n1188696 |access-date=April 22, 2020 |work=NBC News |date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=April 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421165209/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/bipartisan-senate-report-says-2017-intel-assessment-about-russian-interference-n1188696 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Kevin |last2=Phillips |first2=Kristine |title=Senate committee backs intelligence agencies' findings that Russia meddled in 2016 election |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/21/senate-intel-committee-backs-finding-russia-helped-trump-win/2998433001 |access-date=April 22, 2020 |work=USA Today |date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=April 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422104339/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/21/senate-intel-committee-backs-finding-russia-helped-trump-win/2998433001/ |url-status=live}} The committee felt that the assessment brought a "coherent and well-constructed intelligence basis for the case of unprecedented Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election", specifically that the interference was unprecedented in its "manner and aggressiveness".{{cite news |last1=Knutson |first1=Jacob |title=Senate Intel affirms that Russia interfered to help Trump in 2016 |url=https://www.axios.com/senate-inteligence-committee-russia-trump-b2f29fe2-4373-4cb5-9bc6-0f071a0be544.html |access-date=April 22, 2020 |work=Axios |date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=April 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422171403/https://www.axios.com/senate-inteligence-committee-russia-trump-b2f29fe2-4373-4cb5-9bc6-0f071a0be544.html |url-status=live}} The Senate committee heard "specific intelligence reporting to support the assessment that Putin and the Russian Government demonstrated a preference for candidate Trump", and that Putin "approved and directed" the interference.

The committee praised the assessment as an "impressive accomplishment", noting that the assessment "reflects proper analytic tradecraft" despite a limited timeframe.{{cite news |last1=Jalonick |first1=Mary Clare |last2=Tucker |first2=Eric |title=Senate panel backs assessment that Russia interfered in 2016 |url=https://apnews.com/article/d094918c0421b872eac7dc4b16e613c7 |access-date=April 22, 2020 |work=Associated Press |date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=March 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303095751/https://apnews.com/article/d094918c0421b872eac7dc4b16e613c7 |url-status=live}} The committee also stated that "interviews with those who drafted and prepared the ICA affirmed that analysts were under no political pressure to reach specific conclusions."{{cite news|last=Nakashima|first=Ellen|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/senate-committee-unanimously-endorses-spy-agencies-finding-that-russia-interfered-in-2016-presidential-race-in-bid-to-help-trump/2020/04/21/975ca51a-83d2-11ea-ae26-989cfce1c7c7_story.html|title=Senate committee unanimously endorses spy agencies' finding that Russia interfered in 2016 presidential race in bid to help Trump|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 21, 2020|access-date=April 22, 2020|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193730/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/senate-committee-unanimously-endorses-spy-agencies-finding-that-russia-interfered-in-2016-presidential-race-in-bid-to-help-trump/2020/04/21/975ca51a-83d2-11ea-ae26-989cfce1c7c7_story.html|url-status=live}} A disagreement between the CIA and the NSA of the agencies' confidence level of Russia's preference for Trump "was reasonable, transparent, and openly debated among the agencies and analysts." Additionally, the committee found that the Steele dossier was not used by the assessment to "support any of its analytic judgments".

On August 17, 2020, the Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee released the fifth and final volume of their 996-page report,{{Cite news| last1 = Treene| first1 = Zachary| last2 = Basu| first2 = Alayna| title = Senate report finds Manafort passed sensitive campaign data to Russian intelligence officer| work = Axios| access-date = August 18, 2020| date = August 18, 2020| url = https://www.axios.com/senate-intelligence-russia-interference-971619a8-a806-470a-9de6-1416220ab35b.html| archive-date = January 26, 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210126105624/https://www.axios.com/senate-intelligence-russia-interference-971619a8-a806-470a-9de6-1416220ab35b.html| url-status = live}} ending one of the United States "highest-profile congressional inquiries."{{Cite news| issn = 0362-4331| last1 = Mazzetti| first1 = Mark| last2 = Fandos| first2 = Nicholas| title = G.O.P.-Led Senate Panel Details Ties Between 2016 Trump Campaign and Russian Interference| work = The New York Times| access-date = August 18, 2020| date = August 18, 2020| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/18/us/politics/senate-intelligence-russian-interference-report.html| archive-date = February 11, 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210211221615/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/18/us/politics/senate-intelligence-russian-interference-report.html| url-status = live}} The Committee report, which was based on three years of investigations, found that the Russian government had engaged in an "extensive campaign" to sabotage the election in favor of Trump, which included assistance from some members of Trump's own advisers. Volume 5 said the Trump administration had used "novel claims" of executive privilege to obstruct the inquiry.{{Cite news| title = Senate report describes 2016 Trump campaign eager to take Russian help|first=Ken |last=Dilanian| work = NBC News| access-date = August 18, 2020 |date=August 18, 2020| url = https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/bipartisan-senate-report-describes-2016-trump-campaign-eager-accept-help-n1237002}} The report said that Trump's 2016 campaign staff were eager to accept Russia's help,{{Cite news |title=Senate Intelligence Committee Releases Final Report From Russia Investigation |first1=Dustin |last1=Volz |first2=Warren P. |last2=Strobel |date=August 18, 2020 |access-date=August 18, 2020 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-intelligence-committee-releases-final-report-from-russia-investigation-11597758014 |archive-date=December 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229201216/https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-intelligence-committee-releases-final-report-from-russia-investigation-11597758014 |url-status=live}} Acting Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Marco Rubio of the Republican Party issued a statement after release of the report, saying the committee "found absolutely no evidence that then-candidate Donald Trump or his campaign colluded with the Russian government to meddle in the 2016 election."{{cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/democratic-senator-says-he-fears-americans-are-unwittingly-spreading-russia-disinformation-1527012|title=Democratic senator says he fears Americans are "unwittingly" spreading Russia disinformation campaign|date=August 23, 2020|website=Newsweek}}{{cite web|url=https://www.axios.com/warner-senate-intel-committee-russia-report-c0019f7a-bfe6-49b6-8889-8cdfea7086b0.html|title=Sen. Mark Warner says Senate Intelligence Committee voted 14-1 to approve Russia report|first=Rashaan|last=Ayesh|website=Axios|date=August 23, 2020|access-date=August 30, 2020|archive-date=August 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827170346/https://www.axios.com/warner-senate-intel-committee-russia-report-c0019f7a-bfe6-49b6-8889-8cdfea7086b0.html|url-status=live}} The end of Volume 5 contained an extended response under the names of Rubio and other Republican committee members that included a similar statement. The Volume also contained a lengthy response under the names of Democratic Party committee members.

After bipartisan calls to action in December 2016,{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-blames-democrats-for-reports-of-russia-hacking-1481467907 |date=December 11, 2016 |work=The Wall Street Journal |title=Donald Trump Fuels Rift With CIA Over Russian Hack |first=Shane |last=Harris |access-date=December 12, 2016 |archive-date=December 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161212013630/http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-blames-democrats-for-reports-of-russia-hacking-1481467907 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/12/us/politics/mcconnell-supports-inquiry-of-russian-hacking-during-election.html |title=McConnell and Ryan Back Russia Inquiries, Raising Potential Clash With Trump |date=December 12, 2016 |first=Jennifer |last=Steinhauer |access-date=December 12, 2016 |archive-date=December 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161212165138/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/12/us/politics/mcconnell-supports-inquiry-of-russian-hacking-during-election.html |url-status=live}} the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence launched an investigation in January 2017 about Russian election meddling, including possible ties between Trump's campaign and Russia. The Senate Intelligence Committee also launched its own parallel probe in January.{{cite news |last=Wright |first=Austin |title=Second Hill panel to probe possible ties between Russia, Trump campaign |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/house-intelligence-committee-russia-trump-234168 |work=Politico |date=January 25, 2017 |access-date=February 28, 2017 |archive-date=February 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226214140/http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/house-intelligence-committee-russia-trump-234168 |url-status=live}}

On February 24, 2017, Republican Congressman Darrell Issa called for a special prosecutor to investigate whether Russia meddled with the U.S. election and was in contact with Trump's team during the presidential campaign, saying it would be improper for Trump's appointee, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, to lead the investigation.{{cite news|last1=Wang|first1=Amy|title=Top Republican says special prosecutor should investigate Russian meddling in Trump's election|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/25/top-republican-says-special-prosecutor-should-investigate-russian-meddling-in-trumps-election/|date=February 25, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=February 27, 2017|archive-date=February 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226225910/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/25/top-republican-says-special-prosecutor-should-investigate-russian-meddling-in-trumps-election/|url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=GOP Congressman: Special Prosecutor Needed for Russia Probe |url=https://apnews.com/article/34e6839ec7d54e3db9b33347769c046d |date=February 25, 2017|work=Associated Press}} In March 2017, Democratic ranking committee member Adam Schiff said there was sufficient evidence to warrant further investigation,{{Cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/schiff-defends-committee-examining-russia-trump-connections-n735391|title=Top intel Democrat: "Circumstantial evidence of collusion" between Trump and Russia|work=NBC News|access-date=March 19, 2017|archive-date=March 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170319154733/http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/schiff-defends-committee-examining-russia-trump-connections-n735391|url-status=live}} and claimed to have seen "more than circumstantial evidence" of collusion.{{cite news |first=Kailani |last=Koenig |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/schiff-more-circumstantial-evidence-trump-associates-colluded-russia-n737446 |title=Schiff: 'More Than Circumstantial Evidence' Trump Associates Colluded With Russia |work=NBC News |date=March 22, 2017 |access-date=January 30, 2018 |archive-date=March 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326054507/http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/schiff-more-circumstantial-evidence-trump-associates-colluded-russia-n737446 |url-status=live}}

On April 6, 2017, Republican committee chairman Devin Nunes temporarily recused himself from the investigation after the House Ethics Committee announced that it would investigate accusations that he had disclosed classified information without authorization. He was replaced by Representative Mike Conaway.{{cite news |last1=Demirjian|first1=Karoun |author-link=Karoun Demirjian |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-intelligence-chairman-devin-nunes-recuses-himself-from-russia-probe/2017/04/06/8122b5bc-1ad2-11e7-855e-4824bbb5d748_story.html|title=House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes recuses himself from Russia probe|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 6, 2017|access-date=April 6, 2017}} Nunes was cleared of wrongdoing on December 8, 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/nunes-cleared-accusations-he-disclosed-secrets-related-russia-investigation-n827646|title=Rep. Devin Nunes cleared of accusations of disclosing classified intel|website=NBC News|date=December 8, 2017}}

In spite of the Democratic minority's objections, the Republican majority shut down the committee's probe on March 12, 2018.{{cite news|last1=Zengerle|first1=Patricia|title=Republicans shut down House Russia probe over Democratic objections|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-congress/house-republicans-say-probe-found-no-evidence-of-collusion-between-trump-russia-idUSKCN1GO2S1|access-date=March 12, 2018|work=Reuters|date=March 12, 2018|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193752/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-congress/house-republicans-say-probe-found-no-evidence-of-collusion-between-trump-russia-idUSKCN1GO2S1|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/15/593576455/house-intel-republicans-have-cleared-trump-so-are-the-russia-investigations-over|title=House Intel Republicans Have Cleared Trump. So Are The Russia Investigations Over?|last=Ewing|first=Philip|date=March 15, 2018|work=NPR|access-date=March 15, 2018}} Democrats on the committee objected to the Republicans' refusal to press key witnesses for further testimony or documentation that might have further established complicity of the Trump campaign with Russia.{{cite news |last1=Memoli |first1=Mike |title=House Intelligence Committee releases full report on Russia investigation |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-intelligence-committee-releases-full-report-russia-investigation-n869656 |access-date=January 29, 2019 |work=NBC News |date=April 27, 2018 |archive-date=September 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240908222202/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-intelligence-committee-releases-full-report-russia-investigation-n869656 |url-status=live}} Schiff issued a 21-page "status report" outlining plans to continue the investigation, including a list of additional witnesses to interview and documents to request.{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/politics/adam-schiff-house-intelligence-democrats/index.html|title=House intelligence Democrats outline how to keep their Russia investigation alive|date=March 15, 2018|work=CNN|access-date=March 15, 2018|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193721/https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/politics/adam-schiff-house-intelligence-democrats/index.html|url-status=live}}

The committee's Republican majority released its final report amid harsh criticism from Democratic members of the committee.{{cite web | last=Gazis | first=Olivia Victoria | title=Inside Republicans' House Intel report finding "no evidence" of Trump campaign collusion | website=CBS News | date=April 28, 2018 | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-intelligence-committee-finds-no-evidence-trump-campaign-collusion/ | access-date=May 16, 2025}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/us/politics/house-intelligence-committee-russia-investigation-report.html |title=Republicans on House Intelligence Panel Absolve Trump Campaign in Russian Meddling |first1=Nicholas |last1=Fandos |first2=Sharon |last2=LaFraniere |date=April 27, 2018 |access-date=April 30, 2018 |website=The New York Times |archive-date=April 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180429052344/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/us/politics/house-intelligence-committee-russia-investigation-report.html |url-status=live}} The report acknowledged that Russians interfered in the 2016 elections through an active measures campaign{{cite news|first=Nicholas|last=Fandos|title=Despite Mueller's Push, House Republicans Declare No Evidence of Collusion|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/12/us/politics/house-intelligence-trump-russia.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 12, 2018}} using propaganda and fake news, but rejected the conclusion of intelligence agencies that Russia had favored Trump in the election, although some Republican committee members distanced themselves from this assertion.Karoun Demirjian, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/intel-panel-republicans-seem-to-back-away-from-finding-that-russia-was-not-trying-to-help-trump/2018/03/13/7b4c9594-2716-11e8-874b-d517e912f125_story.html Intel panel Republicans seem to back away from finding that Russia was not trying to help Trump] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322082112/https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/intel-panel-republicans-seem-to-back-away-from-finding-that-russia-was-not-trying-to-help-trump/2018/03/13/7b4c9594-2716-11e8-874b-d517e912f125_story.html |date=March 22, 2018}}, The Washington Post (March 13, 2018). Conaway said they had uncovered "perhaps some bad judgment, inappropriate meetings".{{cite news|last1=Memoli|first1=Mike|title=House Republicans say investigation found no evidence of Russia-Trump collusion|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-republicans-say-investigation-found-no-evidence-russia-trump-collusion-n855986|access-date=March 13, 2018|work=NBC News|date=March 12, 2018|archive-date=June 4, 2019|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190604155535/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-republicans-say-investigation-found-no-evidence-russia-trump-collusion-n855986|url-status=live}} The Republicans did acknowledge that other, as yet unfinished, investigations "may find facts that were not readily accessible to the Committee or outside the scope of our investigation".

The report's Republican majority wrote they found "no evidence" of collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign, whereas the Democratic minority disputed that finding, with Adam Schiff asserting there was "significant evidence" of collusion.{{cite web | last=Cillizza | first=Chris | title=The House Intelligence Committee report on Russia doesn't change these 5 facts | website=CNN | date=March 15, 2018 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/politics/intelligence-committee-analysis/index.html | access-date=May 16, 2025}}

File:President Barack Obama.jpg to investigate election hacking attempts since 2008.|242x242px]]

U.S. president Obama and Vladimir Putin had a discussion about computer security issues in September 2016, which took place over the course of an hour and a half. During the discussion, which took place as a side segment during the then-ongoing G20 summit in China, Obama made his views known on cyber security matters between the U.S. and Russia. Obama said Russian hacking stopped after his warning to Putin.{{Cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/obama-putin-232754 |title=Obama says he told Putin to 'cut it out' on Russia hacking |date=December 16, 2016 |newspaper=Politico |access-date=January 10, 2017 |archive-date=January 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108191350/http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/obama-putin-232754 |url-status=live}} One month after that discussion the email leaks from the DNC cyber attack had not ceased, and President Obama decided to contact Putin via the Moscow–Washington hotline, commonly known as the red phone, on October 31, 2016. Obama emphasized the gravity of the situation by telling Putin: "International law, including the law for armed conflict, applies to actions in cyberspace."{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/what-obama-said-putin-red-phone-about-election-hack-n697116 |work=NBC News |title=What Obama Said to Putin on the Red Phone About the Election Hack |first1=William M. |last1=Arkin |author-link=William M. Arkin |first2=Ken |last2=Dilanian |first3=Cynthia |last3=McFadden |author3-link=Cynthia McFadden |date=December 19, 2016 |access-date=December 22, 2016 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193726/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/what-obama-said-putin-red-phone-about-election-hack-n697116 |url-status=live}}

On December 9, 2016, Obama ordered the U.S. Intelligence Community to investigate Russian interference in the election and report before he left office on January 20, 2017.{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/09/politics/obama-orders-review-into-russian-hacking-of-2016-election/index.html |title=Obama orders review of Russian election-related hacking |publisher=CNN |first1=Tal |last1=Kopan |first2=Kevin |last2=Liptak |first3=Jim |last3=Sciutto |author3-link=Jim Sciutto |date=December 9, 2016 |access-date=December 10, 2016 |archive-date=December 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210000059/http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/09/politics/obama-orders-review-into-russian-hacking-of-2016-election/index.html |url-status=live}} U.S. Homeland Security Advisor and chief counterterrorism advisor to the president Lisa Monaco announced the study, and said foreign intrusion into a U.S. election was unprecedented and would necessitate investigation by subsequent administrations.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/us/obama-russia-election-hack.html |newspaper=The New York Times |title=Russian Hackers Acted to Aid Trump in Election, U.S. Says |first1=David E. |last1=Sanger |author-link=David E. Sanger |first2=Scott |last2=Shane |date=December 9, 2016 |access-date=April 10, 2017 |archive-date=December 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209224603/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/us/obama-russia-election-hack.html |url-status=live}} The intelligence analysis would cover malicious cyberwarfare occurring between the 2008 and 2016 elections.{{cite news |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/12/09/obama-orders-review-election-hacking/95204588/ |date=December 9, 2016 |title=Obama orders review of foreign attempts to hack U.S. election |first1=Elizabeth |last1=Weise |first2=Gregory |last2=Korte |access-date=December 10, 2016 |archive-date=December 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209232121/http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/12/09/obama-orders-review-election-hacking/95204588/ |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/obama-orders-full-review-of-election-relate-hacking-232419 |work=Politico |date=December 9, 2016 |title=Obama orders 'deep dive' of election-related hacking |first1=Josh |last1=Gerstein |first2=Jennifer |last2=Scholtes |first3=Eric |last3=Geller |first4=Martin |last4=Matishak |access-date=December 10, 2016 |archive-date=December 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210013719/http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/obama-orders-full-review-of-election-relate-hacking-232419 |url-status=live}} A senior administration official said the White House was confident Russia interfered in the election.Elise Labott, [http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/10/politics/russia-hacking-analysis/index.html "Official: Probe 'solely about lessons learned' on foreign hacking"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161212164511/http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/10/politics/russia-hacking-analysis/index.html |date=December 12, 2016}}, CNN (December 10, 2016). The official said the order by President Obama would be a lessons learned report, with options including sanctions and covert cyber response against Russia.

On December 12, 2016, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was critical of Trump's rejection of the conclusions of the U.S. Intelligence Community that Russia used cyberattacks to influence the election.{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-russia-hacking-white-house-232516 |work=Politico |date=December 12, 2016 |title=White House rails against Trump for not accepting evidence of Russia hacking |first=Brent |last=Griffiths |access-date=December 13, 2016 |archive-date=December 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213131731/http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-russia-hacking-white-house-232516 |url-status=live}} United States Secretary of State John Kerry spoke on December 15, 2016, about President Obama's decision to approve the October 2016 joint statement by the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Obama said the U.S. government would respond to Russia via overt and covert methods, in order to send an unambiguous symbol to the world that any such interference would have harsh consequences in a December 15, 2016, interview by NPR journalist Steve Inskeep.{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/12/15/505775550/obama-on-russian-hacking-we-need-to-take-action-and-we-will |publisher=NPR |date=December 15, 2016 |first=Scott |last=Detrow |title=Obama On Russian Hacking: 'We Need To Take Action. And We Will' |access-date=December 16, 2016 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193814/https://www.npr.org/2016/12/15/505775550/obama-on-russian-hacking-we-need-to-take-action-and-we-will |url-status=live}} He added that a motive behind the Russian operation could better be determined after completion of the intelligence report he ordered. Obama emphasized that Russian efforts caused more harm to Clinton than to Trump during the campaign. At a press conference the following day, he highlighted his September 2016 admonition to Putin to cease engaging in cyberwarfare against the U.S.{{cite news |date=December 16, 2016 |work=The New York Times |title=Obama Says He Told Putin: 'Cut It Out' on Hacking |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/us/politics/obama-putin-hacking-news-conference.html |first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |first2=Mark |last2=Landler |access-date=December 16, 2016 |archive-date=December 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161217013552/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/us/politics/obama-putin-hacking-news-conference.html |url-status=live}} Obama explained that the U.S. did not publicly reciprocate against Russia's actions due to a fear such choices would appear partisan. President Obama stressed cyber warfare against the U.S. should be a bipartisan issue.{{cite news |date=December 16, 2016 |work=The Hill |first=Jordan |last=Fabian |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/310788-obama-seeks-to-tone-down-hacking-fight-with-trump/ |title=Obama turns down temperature on Trump fight |access-date=December 17, 2016 |archive-date=December 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161216201553/http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/310788-obama-seeks-to-tone-down-hacking-fight-with-trump |url-status=live}}

In the last days of the Obama administration, officials pushed as much raw intelligence as possible into analyses and attempted to keep reports at relatively low classification levels as part of an effort to widen their visibility across the federal government. The information was filed in many locations within federal agencies as a precaution against future concealment or destruction of evidence in the event of any investigation.

{{See also|Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act|International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War|Magnitsky Act}}

On December 29, 2016, the U.S. government announced a series of punitive measures against Russia.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/12/obama-russia-hacking-sanctions-diplomats/|title=US Hits Russia With Biggest Spying Retaliation "Since the Cold War"|first=Andy|last=Greenberg|magazine=Wired|access-date=December 30, 2016|archive-date=December 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230100451/https://www.wired.com/2016/12/obama-russia-hacking-sanctions-diplomats/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/us/politics/russia-election-hacking-sanctions.html|title=Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking|date=December 29, 2016|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 3, 2017|archive-date=December 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230174056/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/us/politics/russia-election-hacking-sanctions.html|url-status=live}} The Obama administration imposed sanctions on four top officials of the GRU and declared persona non grata 35 Russian diplomats suspected of spying; they were ordered to leave the country within 72 hours.{{cite news|last=Cowan|first=Richard|title=Trump praises Putin for holding back in U.S.-Russia spy dispute|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-cyber-idUSKBN14I1TY|work=Reuters|date=December 31, 2016|access-date=February 7, 2017|archive-date=February 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204161014/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-cyber-idUSKBN14I1TY|url-status=live}}{{refn|group="Note"|In 2001, the U.S. government expelled 51 Russian diplomats from the country in retaliation for Moscow's alleged recruitment of FBI special agent Robert Hanssen.{{cite news|title=Russia retaliates against US 'spy' expulsions|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/mar/22/russia.usa|newspaper=The Guardian|date=March 22, 2001|access-date=February 28, 2017|archive-date=January 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107005924/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/mar/22/russia.usa|url-status=live}}}} On December 30, two waterfront compounds used as retreats by families of Russian embassy personnel were shut down on orders of the U.S. government, citing spying activities: one in Upper Brookville, New York, on Long Island, and the other in Centreville, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore.Multiple sources:

• Mark Mazzetti & Michael S. Schmidt, [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/us/politics/russia-spy-compounds-maryland-long-island.html "Two Russian Compounds, Caught Up in History's Echoes"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230174138/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/us/politics/russia-spy-compounds-maryland-long-island.html |date=December 30, 2016}}, The New York Times (December 29, 2016).
• Ian Duncan, [http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-russian-retreat-maryland-spying-20161230-story.html "Shut down Russian Eastern Shore retreat offers glimpse at spy battles"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228082941/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-russian-retreat-maryland-spying-20161230-story.html |date=February 28, 2017}}, The Baltimore Sun (December 30, 2016).
• {{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-shuts-russian-compounds-maryland-new-york-hacking/|title=U.S. shuts Russian compounds in Maryland, New York over hacking|work=CBS News|agency=Associated Press|date=December 30, 2016|access-date=December 30, 2016|archive-date=December 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231170208/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-shuts-russian-compounds-maryland-new-york-hacking/|url-status=live}} Further sanctions against Russia were undertaken, both overt and covert.{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-russia-sanctions-election-interference-2016/ |title=U.S. imposes sanctions on Russia over election interference |work=CBS News |date=December 29, 2016 |access-date=December 29, 2016 |archive-date=December 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230122228/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-russia-sanctions-election-interference-2016/ |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.dw.com/en/us-expels-35-russian-diplomats-closes-two-compounds-report/a-36947857 |title=US expels 35 Russian diplomats, closes two compounds: report |publisher=Deutsche Welle |date=December 29, 2016 |access-date=December 29, 2016}} A White House statement said that cyberwarfare by Russia was geared to undermine U.S. trust in democracy and impact the election.{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/29/politics/russia-sanctions-announced-by-white-house/index.html|title=Russia sanctions announced by White House|first1=Evan|last1=Perez|first2=Daniella|last2=Diaz|publisher=CNN|access-date=December 30, 2016|archive-date=December 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230065203/http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/29/politics/russia-sanctions-announced-by-white-house/index.html|url-status=live}} President Obama said his decision was taken after previous warnings to Russia.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1229/841742-us-russia/|title=Obama authorises US sanctions against Russia|date=December 29, 2016|publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann|access-date=December 30, 2016|archive-date=December 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230100536/http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1229/841742-us-russia/|url-status=live}} In mid-July 2017, the Russian foreign ministry said the U.S. was refusing to issue visas to Russian diplomats to allow Moscow to replace the expelled personnel and get its embassy back up to full strength.[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions-retaliation-idUSKBN19Z0RV Russia, mulling expulsions, says too many U.S. spies work in Moscow] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919092310/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions-retaliation-idUSKBN19Z0RV |date=September 19, 2017}} Reuters, June 14, 2017.

Initially Putin refrained from retaliatory measures to the December 29 sanctions and invited all the children of the U.S. diplomats accredited in Russia to New Year's and Christmas celebrations at the Kremlin. He also said that steps for restoring Russian-American relations would be built on the basis of the policies developed by the Trump administration.{{cite news|last1=MacFarquhar|first1=Neil|title=Vladimir Putin Won't Expel U.S. Diplomats as Russian Foreign Minister Urged|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/30/world/europe/russia-diplomats-us-hacking.html|work=The New York Times|date=December 30, 2016|access-date=June 27, 2017|archive-date=May 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519163105/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/30/world/europe/russia-diplomats-us-hacking.html|url-status=live}}[http://tass.com/world/923649 "Plane with Russian diplomats expelled from US lands in Moscow"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107004953/http://tass.com/world/923649 |date=January 7, 2017}}. Russian News Agency TASS. January 2, 2017. Later in May 2017, Russian banker Andrey Kostin, an associate of President Vladimir Putin, accused "the Washington elite" of purposefully disrupting the presidency of Donald Trump.{{cite news|last1=Crabtree|first1=Justina|title=There's a mad house, not a house of cards on Capitol Hill, says Russian bank CEO|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/19/theres-a-mad-house-not-a-house-of-cards-on-capitol-hill-says-russian-bank-ceo.html|publisher=CNBC|date=May 19, 2017|access-date=May 30, 2017|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209193850/https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/19/theres-a-mad-house-not-a-house-of-cards-on-capitol-hill-says-russian-bank-ceo.html|url-status=live}}

{{Main|Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act}}

File:Angela Merkel 2019 cropped.jpg criticized the CAATSA sanctions against Russia, targeting EU–Russia energy projects.]]

In June 2017, the Senate voted 98 to{{nbsp}}2 for a bill that had been initially drafted in January by a bipartisan group of senators over Russia's continued involvement in the wars in Ukraine and Syria and its meddling in the 2016 election that envisaged sanctions on Russia as well as Iran, and North Korea;Multiple sources:

• {{cite news |title=Menendez Statement on U.S. Treasury Russia Sanctions for Election Meddling, Cyber Attacks |url=https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/ranking/release/menendez-statement-on-us-treasury-russia-sanctions-for-election-meddling-cyber-attacks- |publisher=United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations |date=March 15, 2018 |access-date=July 13, 2019 |archive-date=July 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190712120643/https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/ranking/release/menendez-statement-on-us-treasury-russia-sanctions-for-election-meddling-cyber-attacks- |url-status=live}}
• {{cite news |title=Russia sanctions may force US to punish key allies |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/08/politics/us-allies-russia-sanctions/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=February 8, 2018}}
• {{cite news |title=Why Punishing India on Russia Would Be a Mistake for the United States |url=https://thediplomat.com/2018/05/why-punishing-india-on-russia-would-be-a-mistake-for-the-united-states/ |work=The Diplomat |date=May 17, 2018 |access-date=July 13, 2019 |archive-date=June 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190628222434/https://thediplomat.com/2018/05/why-punishing-india-on-russia-would-be-a-mistake-for-the-united-states/ |url-status=live}}
• {{cite news |title=Trump administration holds off on new Russia sanctions, despite law |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions/trump-administration-holds-off-on-new-russia-sanctions-despite-law-idUSKBN1FI2V7 |work=Reuters |date=January 30, 2018 |access-date=July 13, 2019 |archive-date=July 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725064452/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions/trump-administration-holds-off-on-new-russia-sanctions-despite-law-idUSKBN1FI2V7 |url-status=live}}
• {{cite news |title=US sanctions on Russia could harm India. Congress is wrestling over a fix |url=https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2018/07/18/congress-seeking-fix-for-russian-sanctions-that-hurt-india-us-allies/ |work=Defense News |date=July 18, 2018 |access-date=July 13, 2019 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209194311/https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2018/07/18/congress-seeking-fix-for-russian-sanctions-that-hurt-india-us-allies/ |url-status=live}} the bill would expand the punitive measures previously imposed by executive orders and convert them into law.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-overwhelmingly-passes-new-russia-and-iran-sanctions/2017/06/15/df9afc2a-51d8-11e7-91eb-9611861a988f_story.html Senate overwhelmingly passes new Russia and Iran sanctions] WP, June 15, 2017.[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-gop-dems-agree-on-new-sanctions-on-russia Senate GOP, Dems agree on new sanctions on Russia] AP, June 13, 2017. An identical bill, introduced by Democrats in the House in July,[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions-idUSKBN19X1ZV Democrats introduce new bill on Russia and Iran sanctions] Reuters, July 12, 2017. passed 419 to{{nbsp}}3.{{cite news|last1=Marcos|first1=Cristina|title=House passes Russia sanctions deal|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/343700-house-passes-russia-sanctions-deal/|access-date=July 25, 2017|newspaper=The Hill|date=July 25, 2017}}

The law forbids the president from lifting earlier sanctions without first consulting Congress, giving them time to reverse such a move. It targets Russia's defense industry by harming Russia's ability to export weapons, and allows the U.S. to sanction international companies that work to develop Russian energy resources.{{cite news|last1=Etehad|first1=Melissa|title=The Russia sanctions bill, explained: 'Putin is kind of giving up hope'|url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-russian-sanctions-20170731-htmlstory.html|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=August 2, 2017}} The proposed sanctions also caused harsh criticism and threats of retaliatory measure on the part of the European Union, Germany and France."[http://www.dw.com/en/germanys-angela-merkel-slams-planned-us-sanctions-on-russia/a-39276878 Germany's Angela Merkel slams planned US sanctions on Russia]". Deutsche Welle. June 16, 2017.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-russia-sanctions-latest-europe-ready-to-act-jean-claude-juncker-energy-security-america-first-a7861851.html Europe 'stands ready to act' if US sanctions on Russia affect its oil and gas supplies] The Independent, July 26, 2017.{{cite news |title=France says U.S. sanctions on Iran, Russia look illegal |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-france-idUSKBN1AB1MS?il=0 |work=Reuters|date=July 26, 2017}} On January 29, 2018, the Trump administration notified Congress that it would not impose additional sanctions on Russia under 2017 legislation designed to punish Moscow's meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. The administration insisted that the mere threat of the sanctions outlined in the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act would serve as a deterrent, and that implementing the sanctions would therefore be unnecessary.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/rich-russians-still-waiting-to-exhale/2018/01/29/7df459ca-052a-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2_story.html|title=White House says there's no need for new Russia sanctions|date=January 29, 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=January 30, 2018}}

On July 27, as the sanctions bill was being passed by the Senate, Putin pledged a response to "this kind of insolence towards our country".[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/27/putin-russia-us-sanctions-bill Putin: Russia promises retaliation as Senate passes sanctions bill] The Guardian, July 28, 2017. Shortly thereafter, Russia's foreign ministry Sergey Lavrov demanded that the U.S. reduce its diplomatic and technical personnel in the Moscow embassy and its consulates in St Petersburg, Ekaterinburg and Vladivostok to 455 persons—the same as the number of Russian diplomats posted in the U.S., and suspended the use of a retreat compound and a storage facility in Moscow.{{cite news|last1=Roth|first1=Andrew|title=Putin orders cut of 755 personnel at U.S. missions|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/putin-orders-cut-of-755-personnel-at-us-missions/2017/07/30/8a4b0044-7555-11e7-8c17-533c52b2f014_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 30, 2017 |access-date=August 5, 2017}} Putin said he had made this decision personally, and confirmed that 755 employees of the U.S. diplomatic mission must leave Russia.[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40769365 Putin confirms 755 US diplomatic staff must leave] BBC, July 30, 2017.

As of October 2018, the question of whether Donald Trump won the 2016 election because of the Russian interference had not been given much focus. The question has been declared impossible to answer or has been ignored in favor of other factors that led to Trump's victory. Joel Benenson, the Clinton campaign's pollster, has said that the answer to this question will probably never be known, while Richard Burr, the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said "we cannot calculate the impact that foreign meddling and social media had on this election". Michael V. Hayden, a former director of the CIA and the NSA, has asserted that the Russian attacks were "the most successful covert influence operation in history", but that their impact is "not just unknown, it's unknowable".

Statistician Nate Silver, writing in February 2018, described himself as "fairly agnostic" on the question, but noted that "thematically, the Russian interference tactics were consistent with the reasons Clinton lost".{{cite web |last1=Silver |first1=Nate |title=How Much Did Russian Interference Affect The 2016 Election? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-much-did-russian-interference-affect-the-2016-election/ |website=FiveThirtyEight |access-date=December 27, 2018 |date=February 16, 2018}}

Clinton supporters have been more likely to blame her defeat on factors like campaign mistakes or Comey's reopening of the criminal investigation into Clinton's emails than to blame it on Russian interference. They have also drawn attention to the issue of whether Trump colluded with Russia in connection with the campaign. In their book Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign, reporters Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes reported that immediately after the election, Robby Mook and John Podesta decided to assert that Russian hacking was the real reason for the defeat.Jonathan J.M. Allen and Amie Parnes, Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign, (New York: Crown, 2017): 395-96.

Several high-level Republicans,{{who|date=August 2023}} including those who would have benefited from Russia's efforts, have asserted that Russian interference did not determine the election's outcome. President Trump has asserted that "the Russians had no impact on our votes whatsoever",{{cite news |last1=Keith |first1=Tamara |title=Trump Says U.S. Working To Counteract Russian Election Interference In 2018 Midterms |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/06/590973788/trump-to-take-questions-in-joint-press-conference-with-swedish-prime-minister |access-date=December 23, 2018 |agency=NPR|date=March 6, 2018}} and Vice President Pence has claimed that "it is the universal conclusion of our intelligence communities that none of those efforts had any impact on the outcome of the 2016 election." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added that "the intelligence community's assessment is that the Russian meddling that took place did not affect the outcome of the election".{{cite news |last=Crowley |first=Michael |title=CIA director rebuked for false claim on Kremlin's election meddling |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/19/mike-pompeo-cia-russia-influence-election-243967 |access-date=December 27, 2018 |agency=Politico |date=October 19, 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Boot |first1=Max |title=Without the Russians, Trump wouldn't have won |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/without-the-russians-trump-wouldnt-have-won/2018/07/24/f4c87894-8f6b-11e8-bcd5-9d911c784c38_story.html |access-date=December 27, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 24, 2018}} In fact, the official intelligence assessment of January 2017 did not evaluate whether Russian activities had any impact on the election's outcome,{{cite web|last1=Chait|first1=Jonathan|title=Mike Pence Says U.S. Intel Found That Russia Didn't Elect Trump. He Is Lying|url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/02/pence-lies-that-u-s-intel-found-russia-didnt-elect-trump.html|website=New York Intelligencer|date=February 14, 2018|access-date=February 20, 2018}} and CIA spokesman Dean Boyd said Pompeo's remark was erroneous.{{cite news | last1=Cohen | first1=Zachary | last2=Sciutto | first2=Jim | date=October 20, 2017 | title=CIA corrects director's Russian election meddling claim | website=CNN| url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/19/politics/cia-pompeo-russia-meddling-election/index.html | access-date=October 21, 2017}}

House Speaker Paul Ryan claimed that it was "clear" that the Russian interference "didn't have a material effect on our elections".{{cite news |title=The Republicans' defensiveness about Russian hacking is revealing |url=https://www.economist.com/united-states/2018/07/21/the-republicans-defensiveness-about-russian-hacking-is-revealing |newspaper=The Economist |date=July 21, 2018 |access-date=December 27, 2018}}

On the other hand, a number of former intelligence and law enforcement officials, at least one political scientist and one former U.S. president argue that Russian interference was decisive. In support of this argument, they point to the sophistication of the Russian propaganda on social media, the hacking of Democratic Party emails and the timing of their public release, the small shift in voter support needed to achieve victory in the Electoral College, and the relatively high number of undecided voters (who may have been more readily influenced). James Clapper, the former director of National Intelligence, told Jane Mayer, "it stretches credulity to think the Russians didn't turn the election{{nbsp}}... I think the Russians had more to do with making Clinton lose than Trump did".{{cite magazine |first=Jane |last=Mayer |title=How Russia Helped Swing the Election for Trump |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/01/how-russia-helped-to-swing-the-election-for-trump |magazine=The New Yorker |date=October 1, 2018 |access-date=December 23, 2018}} Ex-FBI agent Clint Watts has written that "without the Russian influence{{nbsp}}... I believe Trump would not have even been within striking distance of Clinton on Election Day".{{cite book |last1=Watts |first1=Clint |title=Messing with the Enemy: Surviving in a Social Media World of Hackers ... |date=2018 |publisher=HarperCollins |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6JMpDwAAQBAJ&q=%E2%80%9CWithout+the+Russian+influence+effort,+I+believe+Trump+would+not+have+even+been+within+striking+distance+of+Clinton+on+Election+Day.%E2%80%9D |access-date=December 28, 2018|isbn=9780062796011}} Former president Jimmy Carter has publicly said he believes Trump would not have been elected without the Russian interference.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/jimmy-carter-says-trump-wouldnt-be-president-without-help-from-russia/2019/06/28/deef1ef0-99b6-11e9-8d0a-5edd7e2025b1_story.html|title=Jimmy Carter says Trump wouldn't be president without help from Russia|last=Wagner|first=John|date=June 28, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=June 29, 2019}} Carter has said, "Trump didn't actually win the election in 2016. He lost the election, and he was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf". When questioned, Carter agreed that Trump was an "illegitimate president".{{cite web | last=Lewis | first=Sophie | title=Jimmy Carter calls Trump an "illegitimate president" due to Russian interference | work=CBS News | date=June 28, 2019 | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jimmy-carter-says-president-trump-illegitimate-president-russian-interference-2019-06-28/ | access-date=March 24, 2020}}{{cite web | title=Conversation with Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale | publisher=C-SPAN | date=June 28, 2019 | url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4805096/jimmy-carter-president-trump-put-office-russian-interference | access-date=March 24, 2020}}

Three states where Trump won by very close margins—margins significantly less than the number of votes cast for third-party candidates in those states—gave him an Electoral College majority. Mayer writes that if only 12% of these third-party voters "were persuaded by Russian propaganda—based on hacked Clinton-campaign analytics—not to vote for Clinton", this would have been enough to win the election for Trump.

Political scientist Kathleen Hall Jamieson, in a detailed forensic analysis concludes that Russian trolls and hackers persuaded enough Americans "to either vote a certain way or not vote at all" to affect the election results.{{cite interview |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-this-author-says-its-highly-probable-russian-interference-swung-the-2016-election |title=Why this author says it's 'highly probable' Russian interference swung the 2016 election |work=PBS Newshour |first=Kathleen Hall |last=Jamieson |author-link=Kathleen Hall Jamieson |interviewer=Judy Woodruff |date=November 1, 2018 |access-date=November 23, 2018}}

Specifically, Jamieson argued that two factors that caused a drop in intention to vote for Clinton reported to pollsters can be traced to Russian work: The publicizing of excerpts of speeches by Clinton made to investment banks for high fees and disinformation on FBI head Comey's public denunciation of Clinton's actions as "extremely careless" (see above).

A Columbia study published in 2022 saw changes on election betting markets around Russian holidays, when trolls would be less active.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sipa.columbia.edu/news/study-confirms-influence-russian-internet-trolls-2016-election|title=Study Confirms Influence of Russian Internet "Trolls" on 2016 Election | Columbia SIPA|website=sipa.columbia.edu}} An NYU study published in 2023 found Russian Twitter trolls, specifically, had no measurable impact.{{cite news |title=Analysis {{!}} Russian trolls on Twitter had little influence on 2016 voters |date=January 9, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609002409/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/09/russian-trolls-twitter-had-little-influence-2016-voters/ |archive-date=June 9, 2023 |url-status=live |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/09/russian-trolls-twitter-had-little-influence-2016-voters/}}

{{Further|Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (January–June 2017)|Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (July–December 2017)}}

{{Main|Dismissal of James Comey}}

On May 9, 2017, Trump dismissed Comey, attributing his action to recommendations from United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.{{cite news|first1=Michael D.|last1=Shear|first2=Matt|last2=Apuzzo|title=Trump Fires Comey amid Russia Inquiry—Clinton Email Investigation Cited—Democrats Seek Special Counsel|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/james-comey-fired-fbi.html |work=The New York Times |date=May 10, 2017 |page=A1 |access-date=May 10, 2017|author2-link=Matt Apuzzo}}

Trump had been talking to aides about firing Comey for at least a week before acting, and had asked Justice Department officials to come up with a rationale for dismissing him.{{Cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/332651-sessions-was-told-to-find-reasons-to-fire-comey-reports/|title=Sessions was told to find reasons to fire Comey: reports|last=Sommer|first=Will|date=May 9, 2017|work=The Hill|access-date=May 10, 2017|archive-date=May 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510024326/http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/332651-sessions-was-told-to-find-reasons-to-fire-comey-reports|url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/09/justice-department-was-told-to-come-up-with-reasons-to-fire-comey-reports-say.html|title=Justice Department was told to come up with reasons to fire Comey, reports say|last=Pramuk|first=Jacob|date=May 9, 2017|publisher=CNBC |access-date=May 10, 2017}}

After he learned that Trump was about to fire Comey, Rosenstein submitted to Trump a memo critical of Comey's conduct in the investigation about Hillary Clinton's emails.{{cite journal|last1=Levy|first1=Pema|title=Deputy AG Confirms That Decision to Fire Comey Came From Trump, Not Him|journal=Mother Jones|date=May 19, 2017|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/05/rosenstein-role-trump-sessions-comey-firing/}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/09/james-comey-fbi-fired-donald-trump|title=Donald Trump fires FBI director Comey over handling of Clinton investigation|last=Smith|first=David|date=May 9, 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=May 9, 2017}} Trump later confirmed that he had intended to fire Comey regardless of any Justice Department recommendation.{{cite news|url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/698368/president-trump-just-completely-contradicted-official-white-house-account-comey-firing|title=President Trump just completely contradicted the official White House account of the Comey firing|date=May 11, 2017|work=The Week|access-date=May 11, 2017}} Trump himself also tied the firing to the Russia investigation in a televised interview, stating, "When I decided to [fire Comey], I said to myself, I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story, it's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won.{{'"}}{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/10/politics/donald-trump-james-comey-firing/|title=Trump says he fired Comey because he wasn't "doing a good job"|last=Malloy|first=Allie|date=May 10, 2017|publisher=CNN|access-date=May 11, 2017}}{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/11/politics/comey-fbi-investigation-russia-sarah-huckabee-sanders/index.html|title=White House: Removing Comey will help bring Russia investigation to end |first=Kevin |last=Liptak |publisher=CNN|access-date=May 11, 2017}}

The dismissal came as a surprise to Comey and most of Washington, and was described as immediately controversial and having "vast political ramifications" because of the Bureau's ongoing investigation into Russian activities in the 2016 election.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-fbi-comey-fired-20170509-story.html|title=Trump fires Comey as FBI director; Democrats call for a special prosecutor in Russia investigation|last1=Lauter|first1=David|last2=Memoli|first2=Michael A.|date=May 9, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 11, 2017}} It was compared to the Saturday Night Massacre, President Richard Nixon's termination of special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who had been investigating the Watergate scandal,{{cite news | url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/09/white-house-fires-fbi-director-james-comey.html | website=The Daily Beast | title=CNN's Jeffrey Toobin Goes Off on Trump for Firing Comey: 'What Kind of Country Is This?' | author=Wilstein, Matt | date=May 9, 2017}}{{cite news | url=http://thesilicontimes.com/everyone-is-comparing-donald-trump-to-richard-nixon/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730011516/http://thesilicontimes.com/everyone-is-comparing-donald-trump-to-richard-nixon/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 30, 2017 | title=Everyone is comparing Donald Trump to Richard Nixon | publisher=The Silicon Times | date=May 9, 2017 | author=Abbruzzese, Jason}} and to the dismissal of Sally Yates in January 2017.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/05/09/comey-firing-reaction-from-members-of-congress-on-fbi-directors-dismissal/|title=Comey firing: Reaction from members of Congress on FBI director's dismissal|newspaper=The Washington Post}} Comey himself stated "It's my judgment that I was fired because of the Russia investigation. I was fired in some way to change, or the endeavor was to change, the way the Russia investigation was being conducted."{{cite news|last1=Tucker|first1=Eric|last2=Werner|first2=Erica|title=Comey says he was fired over Russia probe, blasts 'lies'|url=https://apnews.com/article/091e046d17c4483fab14fa26d309afc3/Comey-says-he-was-fired-over-Russia-probe,-blasts-%27lies%27 |work=Associated Press |date=June 9, 2017 |access-date=June 12, 2017}}

During a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on May 10, 2017, in the Oval Office, Trump told the Russian officials that firing the F.B.I. director, James Comey, had relieved "great pressure" on him, according to a White House document. Trump stated, "I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job{{nbsp}}... I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."{{Cite news |first1=Matt |last1=Apuzzo |author2-link=Maggie Haberman |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |author3-link=Matthew Rosenberg |first3=Matthew |last3=Rosenberg |title=Trump Told Russians That Firing 'Nut Job' Comey Eased Pressure From Investigation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/19/us/politics/trump-russia-comey.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 19, 2017 |access-date=May 19, 2017|author1-link=Matt Apuzzo}} In 2019, The Washington Post revealed that Trump also told Lavrov and Kislyak during this meeting that he wasn't concerned about Russia interfering in American elections.{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Shane |last2=Dawsey |first2=Josh |last3=Nakashima |first3=Ellen |title=Trump told Russian officials in 2017 he wasn't concerned about Moscow's interference in U.S. election |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-told-russian-officials-in-2017-he-wasnt-concerned-about-moscows-interference-in-us-election/2019/09/27/b20a8bc8-e159-11e9-b199-f638bf2c340f_story.html |access-date=September 27, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|publisher=WP Company LLC}}

{{Main|Mueller special counsel investigation}}

File:Director Robert S. Mueller- III.jpg directed the FBI from 2001 to 2013.|235x235px]]

On May 17, 2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to direct FBI agents and Department of Justice prosecutors investigating election interference by Russia and related matters.{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/robert-mueller-appointed-special-counsel-oversee-probe-russias/story?id=47472673 |title=Robert Mueller appointed special counsel to oversee probe into Russia's interference in 2016 election |work=ABC News |date=May 17, 2017 |last1=Levine |first1=Mike |last2=Kelsey |first2=Adam |access-date=May 17, 2017}}{{Cite news | url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/special-counsel-will-take-over-fbi-russia-campaign-interference-investigation-n761271 | title=Special Counsel Will Take Over FBI Russia Campaign Interference Investigation | work=NBC News | date=May 17, 2017 | last1=Williams | first1=Pete | last2=Dilanian | first2=Ken | access-date=May 17, 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3726381/Robert-Mueller-Special-Counsel-Russia.pdf|title=Order 3915-2017: Appointment of Special Counsel to Investigate Russian Interference With the 2016 Election and Related Matters|publisher=Office of the Deputy Attorney General, United States Department of Justice|date=May 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517230612/https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3726381/Robert-Mueller-Special-Counsel-Russia.pdf|archive-date=May 17, 2017}} As special counsel, Mueller has the power to issue subpoenas,{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Kevin|title=Justice Department taps former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel for Russia investigation|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/05/17/justice-department-taps-former-fbi-director-robert-mueller-special-counsel-russia-investigation/101806472/|access-date=July 18, 2017|work=USA Today|date=May 17, 2017}} hire staff members, request funding, and prosecute federal crimes in connection with his investigation.{{Cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-former-fbi-director-robert-mueller-1495058507-htmlstory.html | title=Former FBI Director Robert Mueller named special prosecutor for Russia investigation | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | date=May 17, 2017 | last=Tanfani | first=Joseph | access-date=May 17, 2017}}

Mueller assembled a legal team.{{Cite news | last1=Karimi | first1=Faith | last2=Perez | first2=Evan | date=June 16, 2017 | title=Robert Mueller expands special counsel office, hires 13 lawyers | publisher=CNN| url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/politics/robert-mueller-special-counsel-lawyers/index.html | access-date=June 16, 2017}} Trump engaged several attorneys to represent and advise him, including his longtime personal attorney Marc Kasowitz{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-kasowitz-20170524-story.html |title=Marc Kasowitz helped Trump through bankruptcy and divorce. Now he's taking on the biggest case of his career |work=Los Angeles Times |last=Demick|first=Barbara|date=May 24, 2017|access-date=June 8, 2017}} as well as Jay Sekulow, Michael Bowe, and John M. Dowd.{{Cite news | last1=Jarrett | first1=Laura | last2=Perez | first2=Evan | date=June 10, 2017 | title=Mueller staffing up Russia probe while Trump lawyer declares victory | publisher=CNN| url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/10/politics/robert-mueller-russia-investigation-team/index.html | access-date=June 10, 2017}}{{Cite news | last1=Green | first1=Miranda | last2=de Vogue | first2=Ariane | title=Trump adds lawyer John Dowd to Russia legal team | publisher=CNN| date=June 16, 2017 | url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/politics/john-dowd-lawyer-donald-trump/index.html | access-date=June 18, 2017}} All but Sekulow have since resigned.{{Cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/news/343069-trumps-personal-lawyer-resigns-from-top-post-amid-legal-team-shakeup/|title=Trump's personal lawyer resigns from top post amid legal team shakeup|last=Manchester|first=Julia|date=July 21, 2017|work=The Hill|access-date=April 21, 2018|language=en|archive-date=April 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422062956/http://thehill.com/homenews/news/343069-trumps-personal-lawyer-resigns-from-top-post-amid-legal-team-shakeup|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/22/politics/john-dowd-white-house/index.html|title=Dowd resigns as Trump's lawyer amid disagreements on strategy|last1=Diamond|first1=Jeremy|first2=Gloria|last2=Borger|work=CNN|access-date=April 21, 2018}} In August 2017 Mueller was using a grand jury.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/08/03/541432868/source-mueller-using-d-c-grand-jury-in-russia-probe|title=Source: Mueller Using D.C. Grand Jury In Russia Probe|website=NPR.org|date=August 3, 2017|last1=Taylor|first1=Jessica}}

In October 2017 Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty earlier in the month to making a false statement to FBI investigators about his connections to Russia.{{cite news|last1=Bump|first1=Phillip|title=Paul Manafort: A FAQ about Trump's indicted former campaign chairman|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/10/30/paul-manafort-what-we-know-he-did-and-why-he-might-have-been-ensnared-by-the-investigation/ |access-date=October 30, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 30, 2017}} In the first guilty plea of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, George Papadopoulos admitted lying to the FBI about contact with Russian agents who offered the campaign "thousands" of damaging emails about Clinton months before then candidate Donald Trump asked Russia to "find" Hillary Clinton's missing emails. His plea agreement said a Russian operative had told a campaign aide "the Russians had emails of Clinton". Papadopoulos agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as part of the plea bargain.{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-campaign-adviser-george-papadopoulos-pleads-guilty-lying-n815596|title=Ex-Trump Adviser George Papadopoulos Pleads Guilty in Mueller's Russia Probe|date=October 30, 2017|work=NBC News|access-date=October 30, 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Uchill|first1=Joe|title=Timeline: Campaign knew Russia had Clinton emails months before Trump 'joke'|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/357851-timeline-campaign-knew-russia-had-clinton-emails-months-before-trump/|access-date=November 19, 2017|newspaper=The Hill|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209194316/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/357851-timeline-campaign-knew-russia-had-clinton-emails-months-before-trump|url-status=live}}

Later that month, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort surrendered to the FBI after being indicted on multiple charges. His business associate Rick Gates was also indicted and surrendered to the FBI.{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-30/paul-manafort-donald-trump-russia-inquiry/9101372|title=Trump's ex-campaign manager Manafort to turn himself in to Mueller: reports|date=October 30, 2017|work=ABC News|access-date=October 30, 2017|language=en-AU}} The pair were indicted on one count of conspiracy against the United States, one count of conspiracy to launder money, one count of being an unregistered agent of a foreign principal, one count of making false and misleading FARA statements, and one count of making false statements. Manafort was charged with four counts of failing to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts while Gates was charged with three.{{cite web |url=https://www.justice.gov/file/1007271/download |work=United States of America v. Paul J. Manafort, Jr. and Richard W. Gates III |title=Indictment |via=justice.gov |publisher=United States District Court for the District of Columbia |access-date=October 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171126235943/https://www.justice.gov/file/1007271/download |archive-date=November 26, 2017 |url-status=live}} All charges arise from their consulting work for a pro-Russian government in Ukraine and are unrelated to the campaign. It was widely believed that the charges against Manafort are intended to pressure him into becoming a cooperating witness about Russian interference in the 2016 election.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/us/politics/special-counsel-indictments.html?_r=0|title=What It Means: The Indictment of Manafort and Gates|last=Savage|first=Charlie|date=October 30, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 30, 2017}} In February 2018, Gates pleaded guilty to fraud-related charges and agreed to testify against Manafort.{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-rick-gates-plea-deal-20180218-story.html | title=Former Trump aide Rick Gates to plead guilty; agrees to testify against Manafort, sources say | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | date=February 18, 2018 | access-date=February 18, 2018 | last=William | first=David}} In April 2018, when Manafort's lawyers filed a motion to suppress the evidence obtained during the July 26 raid on Manafort's home, the warrants for the search were revealed and indicated that, in addition to seeking evidence related to Manafort's work in Ukraine, Mueller's investigation also concerned Manafort's actions during the Trump campaign{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/10/politics/paul-manafort-robert-mueller/index.html|title=Search warrant reveals Mueller's interest in Manafort's actions during Trump campaign|first=Katelyn|last=Polantz|website=CNN|date=April 10, 2018}} including the meeting with a Russian lawyer and a counterintelligence officer at the Trump Tower meeting on June 9, 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/zoetillman/paul-manafort-is-asking-a-judge-to-suppress-evidence-that|title=Paul Manafort Is Asking A Judge To Suppress Evidence That Agents Seized From His Home|first=Zoe|last=Tillman|website=Buzzfeed.com|date=April 10, 2018}}

In March 2018 the investigation revealed that the prosecutors have established links between Rick Gates and an individual with ties to Russian intelligence which occurred while Gates worked on Trump's campaign. A report filed by prosecutors, concerning the sentencing of Gates and Manafort associate Alex van der Zwaan who lied to Mueller's investigators, alleges that Gates knew the individual he was in contact with had these connections.{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/27/politics/alex-van-der-zwaan-memorandum/index.html|title=New Gates tie alleged in special counsel filing on van der Zwaan sentencing|date=March 27, 2018|first=Katelyn|last=Polantz|website=CNN|access-date=April 6, 2018}}

According to Ryan Goodman, the Mueller report documented 14 different forms of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russians. He described the findings as "a series of activities that show strong evidence of collusion. Or, more precisely, it provides significant evidence that Trump Campaign associates coordinated with, cooperated with, encouraged, or gave support to the Russia/WikiLeaks election interference activities."{{cite web | last=Goodman | first=Ryan | title=Guide to the Mueller Report's Findings on 'Collusion' | publisher=Just Security | date=April 29, 2019 | url=https://www.justsecurity.org/63838/guide-to-the-mueller-reports-findings-on-collusion/ | access-date=July 6, 2023}}

{{Further|Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (January–June 2018)|Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (July–December 2018)}}

On February 16, 2018, a Federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, and fraud with identification documents, in connection with the 2016 United States national elections.{{cite web |last1=Mayer |first1=Jane |title=How Russia Helped Swing the Election for Trump |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/01/how-russia-helped-to-swing-the-election-for-trump?mbid=social_facebook |magazine=The New Yorker |date=September 24, 2018 |access-date=September 29, 2018}} The 37-page indictment cites the illegal use of social media "to sow political discord, including actions that supported the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump and disparaged his opponent, Hillary Clinton."Multiple sources:

• {{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/16/politics/mueller-russia-indictments-election-interference/index.html |title=Special counsel issues indictment against 13 Russian nationals over 2016 election interference |date=February 16, 2018 |website=CNN|access-date=February 16, 2018}}
• Indictment, United States v. Internet Research Agency LLC et al., docket entry 1, February 16, 2018, case no. 18-cr-00032-DLF, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
• {{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/politics/russians-indicted-mueller-election-interference.html | title=13 Russians Indicted by Special Counsel in First Charges on 2016 Election Interference | newspaper=The New York Times | date=February 16, 2018 | access-date=February 16, 2018 | last=Lafranier | first=Sharon}}
• {{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/russian-troll-farm-13-suspects-indicted-for-interference-in-us-election/2018/02/16/2504de5e-1342-11e8-9570-29c9830535e5_story.html | title=Russian troll farm, 13 suspects indicted for interference in U.S. election | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=February 16, 2018 | access-date=February 16, 2018 | last1=Horwitz | first1=Sari | last2=Barrett | first2=Devlin | last3=Timberg | first3=Craig}} On the same day, Robert Mueller announced that Richard Pinedo had pleaded guilty to using the identities of other people in connection with unlawful activity.{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-16/mueller-announces-guilty-plea-of-california-man-in-investigation |title=Mueller Announces Guilty Plea of California Man in Investigation |website=Bloomberg News |date=February 16, 2018 |access-date=February 16, 2018}}[https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/20/17031772/mueller-indictments-grand-jury All of Robert Mueller's indictments and plea deals in the Russia investigation so far that we know of], Vox, Andrew Prokopandrew, June 8, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.

Lawyers representing Concord Management and Consulting appeared on May 9, 2018, in federal court in Washington, to plead not guilty to the charges.{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/05/09/concord-management-arraignment-russia-investigation/594454002/ |title=Russian firm charged in election interference case pleads not guilty |website=USA Today |date=May 9, 2018 |access-date=May 13, 2018}} The prosecutors subsequently withdrew the charges.Balsamo, Michael; Tucket, Eric (March 16, 2020). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200317044758/https://time.com/5804477/justice-department-drops-charges-mueller-probe/ "Justice Department Dropping Case Against 2 Russian Companies Charged in Mueller Probe."] AP. Retrieved March 17, 2020.

File:Grand Jury Indicts 12 Russian Intelligence Officers for Hacking Offenses Related to 2016 Election.webm

On July 13, 2018, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein released indictments returned by a grand jury charging twelve Russian intelligence officials, who work for the Russian intelligence agency GRU, with conspiring to interfere in the 2016 elections.{{cite news

| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/13/us/politics/mueller-indictment-russian-intelligence-hacking.html

| title = 12 Russian Agents Indicted in Mueller Investigation

| website=The New York Times

| date=July 13, 2018

| access-date=August 6, 2018}} The individuals, posing as "a Guccifer 2.0 persona", are accused of hacking into computers of the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, as well as state election boards and secretaries of several states. In one unidentified state, the Russians stole information on half a million voters. The indictment also said a Republican congressional candidate, also unidentified, had been sent campaign documents stolen by the group, and that a reporter was in contact with the Russian operatives and offered to write an article to coincide with the release of the stolen documents.

In March 2018, Anastasia Vashukevich, a Belarusian national arrested in Thailand, said she had over 16 hours of audio recordings that could shed light on possible Russian interference in American elections. She offered the recordings to American authorities in exchange for asylum, to avoid being extradited to Belarus.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/05/world/asia/nastya-rybka-trump-putin.html|title=Escort Says Audio Recordings Show Russian Meddling in U.S. Election|first=Richard C.|last=Paddock|date=March 5, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 5, 2018}} Vashukevich said she was close to Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch with ties to Putin and business links to Paul Manafort, and asserted the recordings included Deripaska discussing the 2016 presidential election. She said some of the recorded conversations, which she asserted were made in August 2016, included three individuals who spoke fluent English and who she believed were Americans. Vashukevich's claims appeared to be consistent with a video published in February 2018 by Alexei Navalny, about a meeting between Deripaska and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Eduardovich Prikhodko. In the video, Navalny claims Deripaska served as a liaison between the Russian government and Paul Manafort in connection with Russian interference efforts.

In August 2018, Vashukevich said she no longer has any evidence having sent the recordings to Deripaska without having made them public, hoping he would be able to gain her release from prison,{{cite news|last=Paddock|first=Richard C.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/31/world/asia/escort-anastasia-vashukevich-nastya-rybka-trump.html|title=She Gambled on Her Claim to Link Russians and Trump. She Is Losing|work=The New York Times|date=August 31, 2018|access-date=August 31, 2018}} and has promised Deripaska not to make any further comment on the recordings' contents.{{cite magazine|last=Kaewjinda|first=Kaweewit|url=http://time.com/5371527/thailand-russia-escort-anastasia-vashukevich/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821072534/http://time.com/5371527/thailand-russia-escort-anastasia-vashukevich/|url-status=dead|title=Belarusian Escort Says She Made a Deal With an Oligarch to Keep Quiet About Russian Meddling|magazine=Time|date=August 20, 2018|access-date=August 31, 2018|archive-date=August 21, 2018}}{{cite news|last=Maza|first=Cristina|url=https://www.newsweek.com/belarusian-escort-says-she-gave-evidence-russian-election-interference-1081677|title=Belarusian Escort Says She Gave Evidence of Russian Election Interference to Manafort-Linked Oligarch|work=Newsweek|date=August 20, 2018|access-date=August 31, 2018}}

{{Further|Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (2019–2020)}}

File:Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election.pdf (redacted)]]

On March 24, Attorney General Barr sent a four-page letter to Congress regarding the Special Counsel's findings regarding Russian interference and obstruction of justice.:commons:File:AG_March_24_2019_Letter_to_House_and_Senate_Judiciary_Committees.pdf, March 24, 2019{{Circular reference|date=January 2025}} Barr said that on the question of Russian interference in the election, Mueller detailed two ways in which Russia attempted to influence the election in Trump's favor, but "did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities."{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/24/politics/mueller-report-release/index.html|title=Mueller did not find Trump or his campaign conspired with Russia, also did not exonerate him on obstruction|last1=Herb|first1=Jeremy|last2=Jarrett|first2=Laura|last3=Polantz|first3=Katelyn|date=March 24, 2019|publisher=CNN|access-date=March 24, 2019}}Multiple sources:

• {{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/03/24/us/politics/barr-letter-mueller-report.html|title=Read Attorney General William Barr's Summary of the Mueller Report|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 24, 2019|access-date=March 24, 2019}}
• {{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/24/mueller-report-conclusions-donald-trump-russia-investigation-barr-deliver-congress/3256025002/|title=Mueller Report: Investigation finds no evidence of Russia conspiracy, leaves obstruction question open|work=USA Today|date=March 24, 2019|access-date=March 24, 2019}}
• :commons:File:AG_March_24_2019_Letter_to_House_and_Senate_Judiciary_Committees.pdf, March 24, 2019 On the question of obstruction of justice, Barr said that Mueller wrote "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."{{cite news |title=Mueller Report Live Updates: No Trump-Russia Conspiracy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/24/us/politics/mueller-report-live-updates.html?partner=applenews&ad-keywords=APPLEMOBILE®ion=written_through&asset_id=100000006425832 |access-date=March 24, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=March 24, 2019}} "The Special Counsel's decision to describe the facts of his obstruction investigation without reaching any legal conclusions leaves it 'to the Attorney General to determine whether the conduct described in the report constitutes a crime{{nbsp}}... Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and I have concluded that the evidence developed during the Special Counsel's investigation is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense."{{Cite web|url=https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/democrats.judiciary.house.gov/files/documents/AG%20March%2024%202019%20Letter%20to%20House%20and%20Senate%20Judiciary%20Committees.pdf|title=The Attorney General Office letter to the House Judiciary Committee on March 24, 2019.}}

On April 18, 2019, a redacted version of the final Mueller Report was released to the public.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/17/attorney-general-william-barr-will-hold-a-press-conference-to-discuss-mueller-report-at-930-am-et-thursday.html|title=Attorney General William Barr will hold a press conference to discuss Mueller report at 9:30 am ET Thursday |last2=El-Bawab |first1=Mike |last1=Calia |first2=Nadine |date=April 17, 2019|website=cnbc.com |access-date=April 19, 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/17/us/politics/when-will-mueller-report-release.html|title=When Will the Mueller Report Come Out? Why the Redactions? And More|last=LaFraniere|first=Sharon|date=April 17, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 19, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}} The Mueller Report found that the Russian government interfered in the election in "sweeping and systematic fashion" and violated U.S. criminal laws.Multiple sources:

• {{cite web |last1=Inskeep |first1=Steve |last2=Detrow |first2=Scott |last3=Johnson |first3=Carrie |last4=Davis |first4=Susan |last5=Greene |first5=David |title=Redacted Mueller Report Released; Congress, Trump React |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/04/18/714667960/redacted-mueller-report-is-released |website=NPR |access-date=April 22, 2019 |date=April 18, 2019}}
• {{cite web |title=The Mueller Report |url=https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/mueller-report |work=YaleGlobal Online |date=May 19, 2021 |publisher=MacMillan Center}}
• {{cite news |date=April 18, 2019 |url= https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/mueller-s-report-trump-sections-blacked-out-released-public-n990191 |title= Mueller report found Trump directed White House lawyer to 'do crazy s--- |website=NBC News |access-date= April 19, 2019 |df= mdy-all |first1=Dareh|last1=Gregorian|first2=Julia|last2=Ainsley}}

On May 29, 2019, Mueller announced that he was retiring as special counsel and the office would be shut down, and he spoke publicly about the report for the first time. He reiterated that his report did not exonerate the president and that legal guidelines prevented the indictment of a sitting president, stating that "the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing."{{cite web |title=Charging Trump was not an option, says Robert Mueller |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48450534 |website=BBC |date=May 29, 2019 |access-date=May 29, 2019}} Saying, "The report is my testimony", he indicated he would have nothing to say that was not already in the report. He emphasized that the central conclusion of his investigation was "that there were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election. That allegation deserves the attention of every American."{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/5597526/robert-mueller-statement-investigation/|title=How Mueller's Farewell Subtly Rebuked Trump |last=Vesoulis |first=Abby |date=May 29, 2019 |magazine=Time |access-date=May 29, 2019}}

Soon after the release of the Mueller Report, Trump began urging an investigation into the origins of the Russian investigation, wanting to "investigate the investigators". In April 2019, Attorney General William Barr announced that he had launched a review of the origins of the FBI's investigation.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/us/politics/russia-investigation-justice-department-review.html|title=Barr Assigns U.S. Attorney in Connecticut to Review Origins of Russia Inquiry|last1=Goldman|first1=Adam|date=May 13, 2019|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=May 14, 2019|last2=Savage|first2=Charlie|last3=Schmidt|first3=Michael S.}}{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Kevin |title=Attorney General taps top Connecticut federal prosecutor for review of Trump-Russia inquiry |url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/05/13/attorney-general-barr-john-durham-us-attorney-connecticut-review-trump-russia-investigation-origin/1195462001/ |website=USA Today |date=May 14, 2019|access-date=May 17, 2019}} The origins of the probe were already being investigated by the Justice Department's inspector general and by U.S. attorney John Huber, who was appointed in 2018 by Jeff Sessions.{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/75e5c4efd5c74e6e9aa1ba0237a0e651 |title=AP source: Barr launches new look at origins of Russia probe |last=Balsamo|first=Michael|date=May 14, 2019|work=Associated Press |access-date=September 29, 2019}} He assigned U.S. Attorney John Durham to lead it.

Durham was given the authority "to broadly examin[e] the government's collection of intelligence involving the Trump campaign's interactions with Russians", reviewing government documents and requesting voluntary witness statements.{{cite news|last1=Savage|first1=Charlie|last2=Goldman|first2=Adam|last3=Fandos|first3=Nicholas|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/us/politics/russia-investigation-review.html|title=Scrutiny of Russia Investigation Is Said to Be a Review, Not a Criminal Inquiry|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 14, 2019|access-date=May 17, 2019}} Trump directed the American intelligence community to "promptly provide assistance and information" to Barr, and delegated to him the "full and complete authority" to declassify any documents related to his probe.{{cite news|url=https://ktla.com/news/politics/trump-steps-up-calls-for-investigation-into-origin-of-russia-investigation/|title=Trump Steps Up Calls for Investigation Into Origin of Russia Investigation|date=May 23, 2019|work=KTLA|agency=Associated Press|access-date=1 October 2019}}{{cite web |title=Trump orders intel agencies to cooperate with Barr probe into 'spying' on 2016 campaign |date=May 23, 2019 |url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/445347-trump-orders-intel-agencies-to-cooperate-with-barr-probe-into-spying/ |access-date=1 October 2019}} In September 2019, it was reported that Barr has been contacting foreign governments to ask for help in this mission. He personally traveled to the United Kingdom and Italy to seek information, and at Barr's request Trump phoned the prime minister of Australia about the subject.{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2019/9/30/20892260/barr-australia-durham-trump-investigation|title=Trump and Barr have been urging foreign governments to help them investigate the Mueller probe's origins|last=Prokop|first=Andrew|date=September 30, 2019|work=Vox|access-date=1 October 2019}}

On November 2, the Special Counsel's office released previously redacted portions of the Mueller report. In September, a federal judge ordered the passages disclosed in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by BuzzFeed News and the advocacy group Electronic Privacy Information Center, while allowing other portions to remain redacted.{{cite web|last1=Leopold|first1=Jason|last2=Bensinger|first2=Ken|title=New: Mueller Investigated Julian Assange, WikiLeaks, And Roger Stone For DNC Hacks|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/new-mueller-investigated-julian-assange-wikileaks-and-roger|access-date=November 3, 2020|website=buzzfeednews.com|date=November 3, 2020 |language=en}}

In summary, per Buzzfeed: "Although Wikileaks published emails stolen from the DNC in July and October 2016 and Stone — a close associate to Donald Trump — appeared to know in advance the materials were coming, investigators 'did not have sufficient evidence' to prove active participation in the hacks or knowledge that the electronic thefts were continuing. In addition, federal prosecutors could not establish that the hacked emails amounted to campaign contributions benefitting Trump's election chances ..."

The newly released material also stated: "While the investigation developed evidence that the GRU's hacking efforts in fact were continuing at least at the time of the July 2016 WikiLeaks dissemination, ... the Office did not develop sufficient admissible evidence that WikiLeaks knew of – or even was willfully blind to – that fact." As reported by Buzzfeed, "Likewise, prosecutors faced what they called factual hurdles in pursuing Stone for the hack."

On November 2, 2020, the day before the presidential election, New York magazine reported that:

{{blockquote|According to two sources familiar with the probe, there has been no evidence found, after 18 months of investigation, to support Barr's claims that Trump was targeted by politically biased Obama officials to prevent his election. (The probe remains ongoing.) In fact, the sources said, the Durham investigation has so far uncovered no evidence of any wrongdoing by Biden or Barack Obama, or that they were even involved with the Russia investigation. There 'was no evidence … not even remotely … indicating Obama or Biden did anything wrong,' as one person put it.{{cite web | last=Waas | first=Murray | title=How Trump and Barr's October Surprise Went Bust | website=New York | date=November 2, 2020 | url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/11/durham-investigation-how-trumps-october-surprise-went-bust.html | access-date=November 4, 2020}}}}{{clear}}

In November 2022, Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin admitted to Russian interference in U.S. elections.{{Cite web |last=Pavlova |first=Uliana |date=2022-11-07 |title=Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin appears to admit to US election interference |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/07/europe/yevgeny-prigozhin-russia-us-election-meddling-intl/index.html |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=CNN|language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-11-07 |title=Putin-linked businessman admits to US election meddling |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-business-social-media-7fefa7ab0491b653f6094a4d090155fe |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=AP News |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=On Eve Of Voting, 'Putin's Chef' Prigozhin Admits To U.S. Election Interference |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/us-elections-prigozhin-admits-interference/32119241.html |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |language=en}} CNN reported that "his statement appeared to be the first admission of a high-level Russian campaign to interfere in US elections from someone close to the Kremlin."

In 2018, Prigozhin had been indicted along with 12 other Russian nationals and 3 Russian firms, as part of Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference. In 2020, the Justice department had dismissed the indictments against Prigozhin's catering firm Concord, because the inability to punish the indicted would possibly lead to the exposure of law enforcement techniques in the process of trial. In July 2022 the State Department offered a $10 million reward for information on Prigozhin and the Internet Research Agency among other Russian interference mechanisms. Prigozhin's admission of election interference in November followed his admission of funding the Kremlin-linked far-right mercenary Wagner Group in September 2022. He had also been placed on the FBI's Most Wanted list in 2021.

U.S. officials were left unsurprised by the Russian oligarch's confession, which was phrased as a vague threat. "Gentlemen, we interfered, we interfere and we will interfere... Carefully, precisely, surgically and in our own way, as we know how. During our pinpoint operations, we will remove both kidneys and the liver at once." Prigozhin long having been sanctioned by the United States, the timing and vagueness of his admission could include elements of disinformation, with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre describing it as one of many Russian narratives "aimed at undermining democracy". She stated the oligarch's comments "do not tell us anything new or surprising."

State Department spokesman Ned Price said that "His bold confession, if anything, appears to be just a manifestation of the impunity that crooks and cronies enjoy under President Putin and the Kremlin... As you know, we have sanctioned this individual, Yevgeny Prigozhin, since 2018 for his interference with our election processes and institutions."{{Cite web |date=2022-11-07 |title=WATCH: State Department responds to Russian's election meddling claim |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-state-department-holds-briefing-after-new-sanctions-against-supporters-of-islamic-state |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}

On November 17, 2022, Republican political operative Jesse Benton was convicted by a federal jury for a 2016 scheme to funnel Russian money to the Donald Trump campaign. According to court documents, Benton caused a Russian foreign national to wire $100,000 to his consulting firm, of which $25,000 of the money from the Russian national was contributed to the Trump campaign.{{Cite news |title=GOP operative found guilty of funneling Russian money to Donald Trump |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/17/benton-trump-russian-vasilenko-guilty/ |access-date=2022-11-18 |issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite web |last=Chen |first=Shawna |date=2022-11-18 |title=GOP operative convicted in scheme to funnel Russian money into Trump campaign |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/11/18/trump-campaign-jesse-benton-russia |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=Axios |language=en}}{{Cite press release |date=2022-11-17 |title=Political Consultant Convicted for Scheme Involving Illegal Foreign Campaign Contribution to 2016 Presidential Campaign |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/political-consultant-convicted-scheme-involving-illegal-foreign-campaign-contribution-2016 |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=justice.gov |language=en}}

In December 2023, CNN reported that:

{{blockquote| a binder containing highly classified information related to Russian election interference went missing at the end of Donald Trump’s presidency, raising alarms among intelligence officials that some of the most closely guarded national security secrets from the US and its allies could be exposed [...] In the two-plus years since Trump left office, the missing intelligence does not appear to have been found. The binder contained raw intelligence the US and its NATO allies collected on Russians and Russian agents, including sources and methods that informed the US government’s assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to help Trump win the 2016 election. [...]}}

According to the report, in the final days of his presidency, Donald Trump intended to declassify and release publicly multiple documents related to the FBI's Russia investigation. Several copies of the binder, with varying levels of redactions, ended up in the Justice Department and the National Archives, but an unredacted version went missing.{{cite web | last1=Herb | first1=Jeremy | last2=Lillis | first2=Katie Bo | last3=Bertrand | first3=Natasha | last4=Perez | first4=Evan | last5=Cohen | first5=Zachary | title=The mystery of the missing binder: How a collection of raw Russian intelligence disappeared under Trump | website=CNN | date=December 15, 2023 | url=https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2023/12/politics/missing-russia-intelligence-trump-dg/ | access-date=December 15, 2023 | archive-date=December 15, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215132323/https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2023/12/politics/missing-russia-intelligence-trump-dg/ | url-status=live}}{{cite web | last1=Haberman | first1=Maggie | last2=Barnes | first2=Julian E. | last3=Savage | first3=Charlie | last4=Swan | first4=Jonathan | title=Material From Russia Investigation Went Missing as Trump Left Office | website=The New York Times | date=December 15, 2023 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/15/us/politics/trump-binder-classified-material-russia.html | access-date=December 15, 2023 | archive-date=December 15, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215193037/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/15/us/politics/trump-binder-classified-material-russia.html | url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/binder-with-top-secret-russia-intelligence-missing-since-end-trump-term-source-2023-12-15/ |title=Top-secret Russia intelligence missing since end of Trump term |last=Landay |first=Jonathan |date=December 15, 2023 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=December 16, 2023 |archive-date=December 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216001031/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/binder-with-top-secret-russia-intelligence-missing-since-end-trump-term-source-2023-12-15/ |url-status=live}}

{{Main|Links between Trump associates and Russian officials and spies}}

During the 2016 presidential campaign and up to his inauguration, Donald J. Trump and at least 18 campaign officials and advisers had numerous contacts with Russian nationals, WikiLeaks, or intermediaries between the two. As of January 28, The New York Times had tallied more than 140 in-person meetings, phone calls, text messages, emails and private messages between the Trump campaign and Russians or WikiLeaks.{{cite news |last1=Yourish |first1=Karen |last2=Buchanan |first2=Larry |title=Trump and His Associates Had More Than 100 Contacts With Russians Before the Inauguration |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/01/26/us/politics/trump-contacts-russians-wikileaks.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 26, 2019 |access-date=January 28, 2019}}

In spring of 2015, U.S. intelligence agencies started overhearing conversations in which Russian government officials discussed associates of Donald Trump.{{cite news |last1=Harris|first1=Shane|title=Russian Officials Overheard Discussing Trump Associates Before Campaign Began|url=https://www.wsj.com/article_email/russian-officials-overheard-discussing-trump-associates-before-campaign-began-1499890354-lMyQjAxMTI3MjE5MjExMzI0Wj/|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=July 12, 2017}} British and the Dutch intelligence have given information to United States intelligence about meetings in European cities between Russian officials, associates of Putin, and associates of then-president-elect Trump. American intelligence agencies also intercepted communications of Russian officials, some of them within the Kremlin, discussing contacts with Trump associates.{{cite news|last1=Rosenberg|first1=Matthew|last2=Goldman|first2=Adam |author2-link=Adam Goldman |last3=Schmidt|first3=Michael S. |author3-link=Michael S. Schmidt |title=Obama Administration Rushed to Preserve Intelligence of Russian Election Hacking|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/01/us/politics/obama-trump-russia-election-hacking.html|work=The New York Times|date=March 2, 2017|page=A1}} Multiple Trump associates were reported to have had contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials during 2016, although in February 2017 U.S. officials said they did not have evidence that Trump's campaign had co-operated with the Russians to influence the election.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/us/politics/russia-intelligence-communications-trump.html |title=Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence |work=The New York Times |last1=Schmidt |first1=Michael S. |author-link=Michael S. Schmidt |last2=Mazzetti |first2=Mark |author2-link=Mark Mazzetti |last3=Apuzzo |first3=Matt |author3-link=Matt Apuzzo |date=February 14, 2017 |access-date=March 2, 2017}} {{As of|2017|3}}, the FBI was investigating Russian involvement in the election, including alleged links between Trump's associates and the Russian government.

File:Sergey Ivanovich Kislyak 2016.jpg met with a number of U.S. officials.|234x234px]]

In particular, Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak has met several Trump campaign members and administration nominees; the people involved have dismissed those meetings as routine conversations in preparation for assuming the presidency. Trump's team has issued at least twenty denials concerning communications between his campaign and Russian officials;{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/02/trump-teams-many-many-denials-contacts-russia/98625780/|title=Trump team issued at least 20 denials of contacts with Russia|work=USA Today |access-date=March 13, 2017}} several of these denials turned out to be false.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/a-whos-who-of-the-trump-campaigns-russia-connections-w469977|title=A Who's Who of the Trump Campaign's Russia Connections|magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=March 13, 2017}} In the early months of 2017, Trump and other senior White House officials asked the Director of National Intelligence, the NSA director, the FBI director, and two chairs of congressional committees to publicly dispute the news reports about contacts between Trump associates and Russia.{{cite news|title=How the Trump White House Has Tried to Interfere With the Russia Investigations|publisher=Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress|magazine=Mother Jones|date=May 26, 2017|author=Buzenberg, Bill |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/05/trump-white-house-interference-russia-investigations |access-date=May 31, 2017}}{{cite news|title=Trump administration sought to enlist intelligence officials, key lawmakers to counter Russia stories |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-sought-to-enlist-intelligence-officials-key-lawmakers-to-counter-russia-stories/2017/02/24/c8487552-fa99-11e6-be05-1a3817ac21a5_story.html|date=February 24, 2017|author1=Miller, Greg|author2=Entous, Adam|newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=March 2, 2017}}

{{Further|Paul Manafort|Trials of Paul Manafort}}

Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort had several contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials during 2016, which he denied. Intercepted communications during the campaign show that Russian officials believed they could use Manafort to influence Trump. The Mueller investigation and the Senate Intelligence Committee found that, as Trump's campaign manager in August 2016, Manafort shared Trump campaign internal polling data with Ukrainian political consultant Konstantin Kilimnik, whom the Mueller Report linked to Russian intelligence, while the Intelligence Committee characterized him as a "Russian intelligence officer".{{cite news |last1=LaFraniere |first1=Sharon |last2=Vogel |first2=Kenneth P. |last3=Haberman |first3=Maggie |title=Manafort Accused of Sharing Trump Polling Data With Russian Associate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/08/us/politics/manafort-trump-campaign-data-kilimnik.html?module=inline |access-date=January 17, 2019 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 8, 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/18/us/politics/paul-manafort-konstantin-kilimnik.html|title=Report Details Manafort's Ties During 2016 Trump Campaign to a Russian Agent|first1=Sharon|last1=LaFraniere|first2=Julian E.|last2=Barnes|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 18, 2020}} Manafort gave Kilimnik data for Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, states the Russian Internet Research Agency specifically targeted for social media and ad campaigns. Trump won those three states by narrow margins and they were key to his election.{{cite web|url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/18/michigan-ties-mueller-report-release/3508664002/|title=Michigan mentions in Mueller report point to Russian election plot|first=Jonathan Oosting and Melissa Nann|last=Burke|website=The Detroit News}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/01/donald-trump-will-be-president-thanks-to-80000-people-in-three-states/|title=Donald Trump will be president thanks to 80,000 people in three states|first=Philip|last=Bump|newspaper=The Washington Post}}

In 2017 Manafort was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on various charges arising from his consulting work for the pro-Russian government of Viktor Yanukovych in Ukraine before Yanukovych's overthrow in 2014, as well as in the Eastern District of Virginia for eight charges of tax and bank fraud. He was convicted of the fraud charges in August 2019 and sentenced to 47 months in prison by Judge T.S. Ellis. Although all the 2017 charges arose from the Special Counsel investigation, none of them were for any alleged collusion to interfere with U.S. elections.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort/u-s-judge-gives-trump-ex-aide-manafort-leniency-under-four-years-in-prison-idUSKCN1QO17N|title=U.S. judge gives Trump ex-aide Manafort leniency: under four years in prison|last=Lynch|first=Sarah N.|date=March 7, 2019|work=Reuters|access-date=March 9, 2019}} On March 13, 2019, Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Manafort to an additional 43 months in prison.{{cite web|last1=Hymes|first1=Clare|last2=Portnoy|first2=Steven|title=Paul Manafort to serve over 7 years in prison|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/paul-manafort-sentencing-today-live-stream-today-dc-court-recommendations-2019-03-13/|work=CBS News|date=March 13, 2019 |quote=Jackson sentenced Manafort to 73 months{{nbsp}}... Jackson imposed a 30-month overlap with the Virginia sentence}}{{cite web|last=Breuninger|first=Kevin|date=March 13, 2019|title=Paul Manafort gets additional 43 months in second Mueller sentence after ex-Trump campaign boss says he's 'sorry'|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/13/paul-manafort-gets-additional-43-months-in-second-mueller-sentence.html|work=CNBC|quote=Paul Manafort, to 43 months of additional prison time}} That day, New York state prosecutors also charged Manafort with sixteen state felonies.{{cite news|last=Rashbaum|first=William K.|date=March 13, 2019|title=New York Charges Manafort With 16 Crimes. If He's Convicted, Trump Can't Pardon Him.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/13/nyregion/manafort-indictment.html|url-access=limited|work=The New York Times}} On December 18, 2019, the state charges against him were dismissed because of the doctrine of double jeopardy.Multiple sources:

• {{Cite news|date=December 18, 2019|title=Paul Manafort's fraud case in New York was dismissed, blocking local prosecutors' effort to undercut a potential Trump pardon|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/paul-manaforts-fraud-case-in-new-york-was-dismissed-blocking-local-prosecutors-effort-to-undercut-a-potential-trump-pardonrdon/2019/12/18/413d334a-21a1-11ea-86f3-3b5019d451db_story.html|url-access=limited|access-date=February 6, 2020}}
• {{Cite news|last=Ransom|first=Jan|date=December 18, 2019|title=State Charges Against Manafort Dismissed by Judge in New York|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/18/nyregion/paul-manafort-ny-fraud-charges.html|url-access=limited}}
• {{Cite news|last=Winter|first=Tom|date=December 18, 2019|title=New York judge tosses state fraud case against Manafort|work=NBC News|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/new-york-judge-tosses-state-fraud-case-against-manafort-n1103921|access-date=February 9, 2021}} On May 13, 2020, Manafort was released to home confinement due to the threat of COVID-19.{{cite web|author=Justine Coleman|date=May 13, 2020|title=Manafort released to home confinement due to coronavirus concerns|url=https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/497495-manafort-released-to-home-confinement-due-to-coronavirus-concerns/|access-date=May 20, 2020|work=The Hill}} On December 23, 2020, U.S. president Donald Trump pardoned Manafort.Multiple sources:
• {{cite news|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|last2=Schmidt|first2=Michael S.|date=December 23, 2020|title=Trump Gives Clemency to More Allies, Including Manafort, Stone and Charles Kushner|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/23/us/politics/trump-pardon-manafort-stone.html|url-access=limited|access-date=February 9, 2021}}
• {{cite news|last1=Rubin|first1=Olivia|last2=Bruggeman|first2=Lucien|last3=Faulders|first3=Katherine|last4=Santucci|first4=John|date=December 23, 2020|title=Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Charles Kushner among those pardoned by Trump|work=ABC News|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/paul-manafort-roger-stone-charles-kushner-pardoned-trump/story?id=74879785|access-date=February 9, 2021}}
• {{cite news|last1=Brown|first1=Pamela|last2=LeBlanc|first2=Paul|last3=Polantz|first3=Katelyn|last4=Liptak|first4=Kevin|date=December 23, 2020|title=Trump issues 26 new pardons, including for Stone, Manafort and Charles Kushner|work=CNN|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/23/politics/trump-pardons-stone-manafort-kushner/|access-date=February 9, 2021}}

{{Further|Michael Flynn|United States v. Flynn}}

In December 2015, retired Army general Michael Flynn was photographed at a dinner seated next to Vladimir Putin. He was in Moscow to give a paid speech which he failed to disclose as is required of former high-ranking military officers.{{cite news | last=Savage | first=Charlie | title=How Michael Flynn May Have Run Afoul of the Law | website=The New York Times | date=May 25, 2017 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/25/us/politics/michael-flynn-russia.html | access-date=September 12, 2020}} Also seated at the head table are Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and members of Putin's inner circle, including Sergei Ivanov, Dmitry Peskov, Vekselberg, and Alexey Gromov.{{cite news|first=Robert|last=Windrem|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/guess-who-came-dinner-flynn-putin-n742696 |title=Guess Who Came to Dinner With Flynn and Putin|work=NBC News|date=April 18, 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Goldman |first1=Adam |last2=Protess |first2=Ben |last3=Rashbaum |first3=William K. |title=Viktor Vekselberg, Russian Billionaire, Was Questioned by Mueller's Investigators |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/us/politics/viktor-vekselberg-mueller-investigation.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 4, 2018 |access-date=May 4, 2018}}

In February 2016, Flynn was named as an advisor to Trump's presidential campaign. Later that year, in phone calls intercepted by U.S. intelligence, Russian officials were overheard claiming they had formed a strong relationship with Trump advisor Flynn and believed they would be able to use him to influence Trump and his team.Multiple sources:

• {{cite news|last1=Borger|first1=Gloria|author1-link=Gloria Borger|last2=Brown|first2=Pamela|author2-link=Pamela Brown (journalist)|last3=Sciutto|first3=Jim|author3-link=Jim Sciutto|last4=Cohen|first4=Marshall|last5=Lichtblau|first5=Eric|author5-link=Eric Lichtblau|title=Sources: Russian officials bragged they could use Flynn to influence Trump|publisher=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/19/politics/michael-flynn-donald-trump-russia-influence/index.html|access-date=May 20, 2017}}
• {{cite web|last1=Logan|first1=Bryan|last2=Bertrand|first2=Natasha|author-link2=Natasha Bertrand|date=May 20, 2017|title=Sources: Russian operatives reportedly bragged that they could use Mike Flynn to get to the White House|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-operatives-bragged-they-could-use-flynn-to-get-to-trump-2017-5|access-date=July 26, 2017|website=Business Insider}}
• {{cite news|last1=Allen|first1=Nick|last2=Graham|first2=Chris|date=May 20, 2017|title=James Comey to testify before Senate panel after Donald Trump called fired FBI boss a 'nut job'|newspaper=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/19/donald-trump-called-james-comey-nut-job-said-firing-eased-great/|url-status=live|url-access=subscription|access-date=July 26, 2017|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/19/donald-trump-called-james-comey-nut-job-said-firing-eased-great/|archive-date=January 12, 2022}}{{cbignore}}

In December 2016 Flynn, then Trump's designated choice to be National Security Advisor, and Jared Kushner met with Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak and requested him to set up a direct, encrypted line of communication so they could communicate directly with the Kremlin without the knowledge of American intelligence agencies.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/02/us/politics/kushner-flynn-sessions-russia.html|title=Kushner and Flynn Met With Russian Envoy in December, White House Says |first1=Michael S. |last1=Schmidt |first2=Matthew |last2=Rosenberg |author3-link=Matt Apuzzo |first3=Matt |last3=Apuzzo |date=March 2, 2017 |work=The New York Times |access-date=March 3, 2017|author-link=Michael S. Schmidt |author2-link=Matthew Rosenberg}} Three anonymous sources claimed that no such channel was actually set up.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/russian-ambassador-told-moscow-that-kushner-wanted-secret-communications-channel-with-kremlin/2017/05/26/520a14b4-422d-11e7-9869-bac8b446820a_story.html|title=Russian ambassador told Moscow that Kushner wanted secret communications channel with Kremlin |newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 27, 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Mazzetti |first1=Mark |author-link=Mark Mazzetti |last2=Apuzzo |first2=Matt |author2-link=Matt Apuzzo |last3=Haberman |first3=Maggie |author3-link=Maggie Haberman |title=Kushner Is Said to Have Discussed a Secret Channel to Talk to Russia |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/us/politics/kushner-talked-to-russian-envoy-about-creating-secret-channel-with-kremlin.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 26, 2017 |access-date=May 27, 2017}}

On December 29, 2016, the day President Obama announced sanctions against Russia, Flynn discussed the sanctions with Kislyak, urging that Russia not retaliate.{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/12/1/16724232/flynn-testify-against-trump|title=What Michael Flynn has actually admitted to so far, explained|last=Prokop|first=Andrew|date=December 1, 2017|work=Vox|access-date=January 12, 2018}} Flynn initially denied speaking to Kislyak, then acknowledged the conversation but denied discussing the sanctions.{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/official-flynn-discussed-sanctions-russians-taking-office-n719271|title=Official: Flynn Discussed Sanctions With Russians Before Taking Office|last=Dilanian|first=Ken|date=February 10, 2017|work=NBC News |access-date=March 2, 2017}}{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/13/politics/michael-flynn-white-house-national-security-adviser/|title=Flynn resigns amid controversy over Russia contacts|last1=Murray|first1=Sara|last2=Borger|first2=Gloria|last3=Diamond|first3=Jeremy|date=February 14, 2017|publisher=CNN |access-date=March 2, 2017}} When it was revealed in February 2017 that U.S. intelligence agencies had evidence, through monitoring of the ambassador's communications, that he actually had discussed the sanctions, Flynn said he couldn't remember if he did or not.

Upon Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2017, he appointed Flynn his National Security Advisor. On January 24, Flynn was interviewed by the FBI. Two days later, acting Attorney General Sally Yates informed the White House that Flynn was "compromised" by the Russians and possibly open to blackmail.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/05/08/sally-yates-michael-flynn-russia-contacts/101339968/|title=Sally Yates warned White House that Michael Flynn was vulnerable to Russian blackmail|last=Johnson|first=Kevin|date=May 8, 2017|work=USA Today|access-date=January 12, 2018}} Flynn was forced to resign as national security advisor on February 13, 2017.

On December 1, 2017, Flynn pleaded guilty to a single felony count of making "false, fictitious and fraudulent statements" to the FBI about his conversations with Kislyak. His plea was part of a plea bargain with special counsel Robert Mueller, under which Flynn also agreed to cooperate with Mueller's investigation which lead to his sentencing being postponed several times.{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/01/politics/michael-flynn-charged/index.html|title=Flynn charged with one count of making false statement|first=Jeremy|last=Herb|publisher=CNN|date=December 1, 2017}}

In June 2019, Flynn fired his initial counsel from the firm Covington and Burling and hired Sidney Powell. Powell moved to compel production of additional Brady material and newly discovered evidence in October 2019, which was denied by Sullivan in December 2019. Flynn then moved to withdraw his guilty plea in January 2020, claiming that the government had acted in bad faith and breached the plea agreement.

In May 2020, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a motion to dismiss the charge against Flynn with prejudice, asserting that it no longer believed it could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Flynn had made false statements to the FBI or that the statements, even if false, were materially false in regards to the FBI's investigation. Sullivan then appointed an amicus, John Gleeson, to prepare an argument against dismissal. Sullivan also allowed amici to file briefs regarding the dismissal motion.

Powell filed an emergency petition for a writ of mandamus in the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, asking (1) that Judge Sullivan be ordered to grant the government's motion to dismiss, (2) for Sullivan's amicus appointment of Gleeson to be vacated, and (3) for the case be assigned to another judge for any additional proceedings. The appellate court panel assigned to the case ordered Sullivan to respond, and briefs were also filed by the DOJ and amici. In June 2020, the appeals court panel ruled 2–1 in favor of Flynn on the first two requests, and the panel unanimously rejected the third request. Judge Sullivan petitioned the Court of Appeals for an en banc rehearing, a request opposed by Flynn and the DOJ. The appellate court granted Sullivan's petition in an 8-2 decision and vacated the panel's ruling. The case was ultimately dismissed as moot on December 8, 2020, after President Trump pardoned Flynn on November 25, 2020.

{{Further|George Papadopoulos}}

In March 2016 Donald Trump named George Papadopoulos, an oil, gas, and policy consultant, as an unpaid foreign policy advisor to his campaign. Shortly thereafter Papadopoulos was approached by Joseph Mifsud, a London-based professor with connections to high-ranking Russian officials.{{cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/george-papadopoulos-who-joseph-mifsud-professor-697441|title=Who is Joseph Mifsud, the professor in the George Papadopoulos investigation?|last=Kutner|first=Max|date=October 31, 2017|work=Newsweek|access-date=October 31, 2017}} Mifsud told him the Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails" "apparently stolen in an effort to try to damage her campaign". The two met several times in March 2016.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/30/politics/who-is-george-papadopoulos/index.html|title=Who is George Papadopoulos? |first1=Jeremy |last1=Herb |first2=Marshall |last2=Cohen|publisher=CNN|access-date=October 31, 2017}} In May 2016 at a London wine bar, Papadopoulos told the top Australian diplomat to the United Kingdom, Alexander Downer, that Russia "had a dirt file on rival candidate Hillary Clinton in the form of hacked Democratic Party emails".{{Cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/joe-hockey-discussed-downers-russia-revelations-with-fbi-20180101-h0c58c.html|title=Joe Hockey discussed Alexander Downer's Russia revelations with FBI|last=Wroe|first=David|date=January 2, 2018|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=January 2, 2018|language=en-US}} After the DNC emails were published by WikiLeaks in July, the Australian government told the FBI about Papadopoulos' revelation, leading the FBI to launch a counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign, known by its code name: Crossfire Hurricane,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/30/us/politics/how-fbi-russia-investigation-began-george-papadopoulos.html|title=How the Russia Inquiry Began: A Campaign Aide, Drinks and Talk of Political Dirt|last1=LaFraniere|first1=Sharon|date=December 30, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 30, 2017|last2=Mazzetti|first2=Mark|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last3=Apuzzo|first3=Matt}}{{cite news|last1=Apuzzo|first1=Matt|last2=Goldman|first2=Adam|last3=Fandos|first3=Nicholas|title=Code Name Crossfire Hurricane: The Secret Origins of the Trump Investigation|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/16/us/politics/crossfire-hurricane-trump-russia-fbi-mueller-investigation.html|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=May 17, 2018|date=May 16, 2018}} which has been criticized by Trump as a "witch hunt".

Papadopoulos' main activity during the campaign was attempting, unsuccessfully, to set up meetings between Russian officials (including Vladimir Putin) and Trump campaign officials (including Trump himself).{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-campaign-emails-show-aides-repeated-efforts-to-set-up-russia-meetings/2017/08/14/54d08da6-7dc2-11e7-83c7-5bd5460f0d7e_story.html|title=Trump campaign emails show aide's repeated efforts to set up Russia meetings|last1=Hamburger|first1=Tom|last2=Leonnig|first2=Carol D.|author-link2=Carol D. Leonnig|last3=Helderman|first3=Rosalind S.|date=August 14, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=August 15, 2017}} In pursuit of this goal he communicated with multiple Trump campaign officials including Sam Clovis, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, and Corey Lewandowski.

On January 27, 2017, Papadopoulos was interviewed by FBI agents.{{cite news |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2017/10/30/george_papadopoulos_charged_by_robert_mueller_was_suspiciously_bad_at_facebook.html |title=The Trump Campaign Adviser Who Pleaded Guilty Was Very Bad at Facebook |first=April |last=Glaser |date=October 30, 2017 |access-date=October 31, 2017 |work=Slate}} On July 27, he was arrested at Washington-Dulles International Airport, and he has since been cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller in his investigation.{{cite news |first1=Matt |last1=Apuzzo | first2= Michael S. |last2=Schmidt |author-link1=Matt Apuzzo |author-link2=Michael S. Schmidt |title=Trump Campaign Adviser Met With Russian to Discuss 'Dirt' on Clinton|work=The New York Times |date=October 30, 2017 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/us/politics/george-papadopoulos-russia.html}} On October 5, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one felony count of making false statements to FBI agents relating to contacts he had with agents of the Russian government while working for the Trump campaign.{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/file/1007341/download|title=Guilty Plea|website=United States Department of Justice}}{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/file/1007346/download|title=Statement of Facts of Guilt|website=United States Department of Justice}} Papadopoulos's arrest and guilty plea became public on October 30, 2017, when court documents showing the guilty plea were unsealed.{{cite web |first=Joseph |last=Tanfani |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-pol-essential-washington-updates-former-trump-campaign-aide-george-1509374196-htmlstory.html |title=Former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos pleads guilty to lying to the FBI agents in Mueller probe |website=Los Angeles Times |date=October 30, 2017}} Papadopoulos was sentenced to 14 days in prison, 12 months supervised release, 200 hours of community service and was fined $9,500, on September 7, 2018.{{cite news |title=Ex-Trump Aide Papadopoulos Sentenced To 14 Days Jail For Lying To FBI |url=https://headlinestoday.org/international/2456/ex-trump-aide-papadopoulos-sentenced-to-14-days-jail-for-lying-to-fbi/ |access-date=September 8, 2018 |agency=Headlines Today |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180908121449/https://headlinestoday.org/international/2456/ex-trump-aide-papadopoulos-sentenced-to-14-days-jail-for-lying-to-fbi/ |archive-date=September 8, 2018 |url-status=dead}} He was later pardoned by Trump in December 2020.{{Cite news|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|last2=Schmidt|first2=Michael S.|date=2020-12-23|title=Trump Pardons Two Russia Inquiry Figures and Blackwater Guards|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/us/politics/trump-pardons.html|access-date=2021-06-15|issn=0362-4331}}

{{Main|Trump Tower meeting}}

In June 2016, Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner met with Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya, who was accompanied by some others, including Russian-American lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin, after Trump Jr. was informed that Veselnitskaya could supply the Trump campaign with incriminating information about Hillary Clinton such as her dealings with the Russians.Multiple sources:

• {{cite news |first1=Matt |last1=Apuzzo |author2-link=Jo Becker |first2=Jo |last2=Becker |author3-link=Adam Goldman |first3=Adam |last3=Goldman |author4-link=Maggie Haberman |first4=Maggie|last4=Haberman|title=Trump Jr. Was Told in Email of Russian Effort to Aid Campaign|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/10/us/politics/donald-trump-jr-russia-email-candidacy.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 10, 2017 |access-date=July 11, 2017|author1-link=Matt Apuzzo}}
• {{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/russian-lawyer-brought-ex-soviet-counter-intelligence-officer-trump-team-n782851|title=Former Soviet counterintelligence officer at meeting With Donald Trump Jr. and Russian lawyer|work=NBC News|access-date=July 14, 2017}}
• {{cite news | url=https://apnews.com/article/dceed1008d8f45afb314aca65797762a | title=Russian-American lobbyist says he was in Trump son's meeting | work=Associated Press | date=July 14, 2017 | last=Butler | first=Desmond | access-date=July 14, 2017}} The meeting was arranged following an email from British music publicist Rob Goldstone who was the manager of Emin Agalarov, son of Russian tycoon Aras Agalarov.{{cite news|last1=Carter|first1=Brandon|title=Trump Jr. was told potential Clinton info came from Russian government: report|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/341386-trump-jr-was-told-potential-info-on-clinton-was-coming-from-russian/|newspaper=The Hill|date=July 10, 2017|access-date=July 11, 2017|archive-date=July 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711042838/http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/341386-trump-jr-was-told-potential-info-on-clinton-was-coming-from-russian|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last1=Bertrand|first1=Natasha|author-link=Natasha Bertrand|date=July 10, 2017|title=Meet the music publicist taking credit for setting up Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-rob-goldstone-donald-trump-jr-russia-2017-7|access-date=July 10, 2017|website=Business Insider}} In the email, Goldstone said the information had come from the Russian government and "was part of a Russian government effort to help Donald Trump's presidential campaign". Trump Jr. replied with an e-mail saying "If it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer" and arranged the meeting.{{cite news|last1=Becker|first1=Jo|last2=Goldman|first2=Adam|last3=Apuzzo|first3=Matt|title=Russian Dirt on Clinton? 'I Love It,' Donald Trump Jr. Said|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/11/us/politics/trump-russia-email-clinton.html|access-date=August 4, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=July 11, 2017}} Trump Jr. went to the meeting expecting to receive information harmful to the Clinton campaign, but he said none was forthcoming, and instead the conversation then turned to the Magnitsky Act and the adoption of Russian children.{{cite news |last1=Borchers|first1=Callum|title=Donald Trump Jr.'s stunning admission to the New York Times|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/07/09/donald-trump-jr-s-stunningly-incriminating-statement-to-the-new-york-times/ |newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=July 11, 2017}}

The meeting was disclosed by The New York Times on July 8, 2017.{{cite news |first1=Jo |last1=Becker |first2=Matt |last2=Apuzzo |first3=Adam |last3=Goldman |title=Trump Team Met With Lawyer Linked to Kremlin During Campaign |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/08/us/politics/trump-russia-kushner-manafort.html |work=The New York Times |date=July 8, 2017 |access-date=July 12, 2017}}{{cite news |first1=Jo |last1=Becker |first2=Matt |last2=Apuzzo |first3=Adam |last3=Goldman |title=Trump's Son Met With Russian Lawyer After Being Promised Damaging Information on Clinton |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/09/us/politics/trump-russia-kushner-manafort.html |work=The New York Times |date=July 9, 2017 |access-date=July 12, 2017}}

On the same day, Donald Trump Jr. released a statement saying it had been a short introductory meeting focused on adoption of Russian children by Americans and "not a campaign issue".

Later that month The Washington Post revealed that Trump Jr.'s statement had been dictated by President Donald Trump, who had overruled his staff's recommendation that the statement be transparent about the actual motivation for the meeting: the Russian government's wish to help Trump's campaign.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-dictated-sons-misleading-statement-on-meeting-with-russian-lawyer/2017/07/31/04c94f96-73ae-11e7-8f39-eeb7d3a2d304_story.html|title=Trump dictated son's misleading statement on meeting with Russian lawyer|first1=Ashley |last1=Parker |first2=Carol D. |last2=Leonnig |first3=Philip |last3=Rucker |first4=Tom |last4=Hamburger |newspaper=The Washington Post |date= July 31, 2017 |access-date=August 1, 2017}}

File:Jeff Sessions, official portrait.jpg Jeff Sessions talked with the Russian ambassador during the Trump campaign and recused himself from the investigation.|261x261px]]

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an early and prominent supporter of Trump's campaign, spoke twice with Russian ambassador Kislyak before the election—once in July 2016 at the Republican convention and once in September 2016 in Sessions' Senate office. In his confirmation hearings, Sessions testified that he "did not have communications with the Russians".{{cite news|last1=Entous|first1=Adam|last2=Nakashima|first2=Ellen|last3=Miller|first3=Greg|title=Sessions met with Russian envoy twice last year, encounters he later did not disclose|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/sessions-spoke-twice-with-russian-ambassador-during-trumps-presidential-campaign-justice-officials-say/2017/03/01/77205eda-feac-11e6-99b4-9e613afeb09f_story.html|date=March 1, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=March 2, 2017}} On March 2, 2017, after this denial was revealed to have been false, Sessions recused himself from matters relating to Russia's election interference and deferred to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.{{cite news|last1=Lichtblau|first1=Eric |author-link=Eric Lichtblau |last2=Shear|first2=Michael D.|last3=Savage|first3=Charlie |author3-link=Charlie Savage (author) |last4=Apuzzo|first4=Matt |author4-link=Matt Apuzzo |last5=Haberman|first5=Maggie |author5-link=Maggie Haberman |last6=Schmidt|first6=Michael S. |author6-link=Michael S. Schmidt |title=Jeff Sessions Recuses Himself From Russia Inquiry|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/02/us/politics/jeff-sessions-russia-trump-investigation-democrats.html|work=The New York Times|date=March 2, 2017}}

Roger Stone, a former adviser to Donald Trump and business partner of Paul Manafort, said he had been in contact with Guccifer 2.0, a hacker persona believed to be a front for Russian intelligence operations, who had publicly claimed responsibility for at least one hack of the DNC.{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/russia-hearing-fbi-roger-stone-236268 |title=Roger Stone takes center stage as Congress lines up Russia probe witnesses |newspaper=Politico |date=March 20, 2017 |last=Matishak |first=Martin |access-date=April 18, 2017}} During the campaign, Stone had stated repeatedly and publicly that he had "actually communicated with Julian Assange"; he later denied having done so.{{cite news |last1=Massie|first1=Chris|last2=McDermott|first2=Nathan|last3=Kaczynski|first3=Andrew|title=Trump adviser Roger Stone repeatedly claimed to know of forthcoming WikiLeaks dumps|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/20/politics/kfile-roger-stone-wikileaks-claims/|publisher=CNN |access-date=April 23, 2017}} In August 2016, Stone had cryptically tweeted "Trust me, it will soon {{sic|expected=be}} the Podesta's time in the barrel" shortly after claiming to have been in contact with WikiLeaks and before WikiLeaks' release of the Podesta emails.{{cite news |last1=Danner|first1=Chas|title=Trump Adviser Roger Stone Admits Messaging With Alleged DNC Hacker|url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/03/trump-adviser-roger-stone-admits-messaging-with-dnc-hacker.html|work=New York |access-date=April 23, 2017}} Stone has denied having any advance knowledge of the Podesta e-mail hack or any connection to Russian intelligence, stating that his earlier tweet was actually referring to reports of the Podesta Group's own ties to Russia.{{cite web|last=Farley|first=Robert|url=http://www.factcheck.org/2017/03/misrepresenting-stones-prescience/|title=Misrepresenting Stone's Prescience|website=FactCheck.org|date=March 28, 2017|access-date=October 18, 2017}}{{cite web|last=Bertrand|first=Natasha|author-link=Natasha Bertrand|date=September 26, 2017|title=Top Trump confidant points to dubious report to justify conversation with Russian cyber spy|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/roger-stone-dnc-hacker-guccifer-russia-trump-2017-9|access-date=October 18, 2017|website=Business Insider}} Stone ultimately named Randy Credico, who had interviewed both Assange and Stone for a radio show, as his intermediary with Assange.{{cite news|last1=Raju|first1=Manu|last2=Herb|first2=Jeremy|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/29/politics/randy-credico-roger-stone-wikileaks/index.html|title=New York radio personality was Roger Stone's WikiLeaks contact|publisher=CNN|date=November 29, 2017|access-date=November 30, 2017}}

In June 2018 Stone disclosed that he had met with a Russian individual during the campaign, who wanted Trump to pay two million dollars for "dirt on Hillary Clinton". This disclosure contradicted Stone's earlier claims that he had not met with any Russians during the campaign. The meeting Stone attended was set up by Donald Trump's campaign aide, Michael Caputo and is a subject of Robert Mueller's investigation.{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/392662-roger-stone-russian-wanted-trump-to-pay-2m-for-dirt-on-clinton-during/|title=Roger Stone: Russian wanted Trump to pay $2M for dirt on Clinton during the campaign|first=Jacqueline|last=Thomsen|date=June 17, 2018|website=The Hill|access-date=June 19, 2018|archive-date=April 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416032752/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/392662-roger-stone-russian-wanted-trump-to-pay-2m-for-dirt-on-clinton-during/|url-status=live}}

Oil industry consultant Carter Page had his communications monitored by the FBI under a FISA warrant beginning in 2014,{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/03/politics/mueller-investigation-russia-trump-one-year-financial-ties/index.html|title=One year into the FBI's Russia investigation, Mueller is on the Trump money trail|first1=Evan|last1=Perez|first2=Pamela|last2=Brown|first3=Shimon|last3=Prokupecz|date=August 3, 2017|publisher=CNN|access-date=April 30, 2018}} and again beginning in October 2016,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/02/us/politics/nunes-memo-gop-fbi-annotated.html|title=Read the Nunes Memo, Annotated|first=Charlie|last=Savage|date=February 2, 2018|website=The New York Times|access-date=April 30, 2018}} after he was suspected of acting as an agent for Russia. Page told The Washington Post he considered that to be "unjustified, politically motivated government surveillance".{{cite news|author=Nakashima, Ellen |first2=Devlin |last2=Barrett |first3=Adam|last3=Entous|date=April 11, 2017|title=FBI obtained FISA warrant to monitor former Trump adviser Carter Page|newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-obtained-fisa-warrant-to-monitor-former-trump-adviser-carter-page/2017/04/11/620192ea-1e0e-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html |access-date=April 11, 2017}} Page spoke with Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention, acting as a foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump.{{cite news |first=Julie|last=Pace|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/senate-committee-calls-former-trump-adviser-carter-page-russia-investigation/|title=Senate committee calls on former Trump adviser Carter Page in Russia investigation|agency=Associated Press|date=March 6, 2017}}{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/04/politics/carter-page-russia-donald-trump/index.html|title=Who is Carter Page?|first1=Marshall|last1=Cohen|first2=Eli|last2=Watkins|publisher=CNN|date=March 4, 2016}} In 2013 he had met with Viktor Podobnyy, then a junior attaché at the Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations, at an energy conference, and provided him with documents on the U.S. energy industry.{{cite news |first=Julie |last=Pace |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-carter-page-russian-spy-20170403-story.html |title=Trump campaign adviser Carter Page met with Russian spy in 2013 |agency=Associated Press |date=April 3, 2017 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune}} Podobnyy was later charged with spying, but was protected from prosecution by diplomatic immunity.Adam Goldman, [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/us/politics/carter-page-trump-russia.html "Russian Spies Tried to Recruit Carter Page Before He Advised Trump"], The New York Times (April 4, 2017). The FBI interviewed Page in 2013 as part of an investigation into Podonyy's spy ring, but never accused Page of wrongdoing.

The Mueller Report also found that Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MbZ) approached Richard Gerson, a financier and Jared Kushner's friend, to arrange his meetings with Trump. A Russian businessman Kirill Dmitriev, who was close to Vladimir Putin and Blackwater founder Erik Prince, discussed a "reconciliation plan" with Gerson for the U.S. and Russia, which was later shared with Kushner. MbZ also advised Trump on the dangers of Iran and about Palestinian peace talks.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/02/world/middleeast/crown-prince-mohammed-bin-zayed.html|title=The Most Powerful Arab Ruler Isn't M.B.S. It's M.B.Z.|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 2, 2019 |access-date=June 2, 2019|last1=Kirkpatrick |first1=David D.}} On January 11, 2017, UAE officials organized a meeting in the Seychelles between Prince and Dmitriev. They discussed a back channel between Trump and Putin along with Middle East policy, notably about Syria and Iran. U.S. officials said the FBI was investigating the meeting.Adam Entous, Greg Miller, Kevin Sieff & Karen DeYoung, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/blackwater-founder-held-secret-seychelles-meeting-to-establish-trump-putin-back-channel/2017/04/03/95908a08-1648-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html "Blackwater founder held secret Seychelles meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel"], The Washington Post (April 3, 2016).

File:Jared Kushner June 2019.jpg, President Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, failed to disclose meetings with Russian officials.]]

Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, on his application for top secret security clearance, failed to disclose numerous meetings with foreign officials, including Ambassador Kislyak and Sergei Gorkov, the head of the Russian state-owned bank Vnesheconombank. Kushner's lawyers called the omissions "an error". Vnesheconombank has said the meeting was business-related, in connection with Kushner's management of Kushner Companies. However, the Trump administration provided a different explanation, saying it was a diplomatic meeting.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/explanations-for-kushners-meeting-with-head-of-kremlin-linked-bank-dont-match-up/2017/06/01/dd1bdbb0-460a-11e7-bcde-624ad94170ab_story.html |title=Explanations for Kushner's meeting with head of Kremlin-linked bank don't match up |first1=David|last1=Filipov|first2=Amy|last2=Brittain|first3=Rosalind S.|last3=Helderman|first4=Tom|last4=Hamburger |date=June 1, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

On May 30, 2017, the House and Senate congressional panels both asked President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen to "provide information and testimony" about any communications Cohen had with people connected to the Kremlin.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40098658 |publisher=BBC News |date=May 30, 2017 |title=Russia inquiry expands to Trump lawyer Michael Cohen |access-date=May 30, 2017 |archive-date=May 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531121809/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40098658 |url-status=dead}}{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/russia-investigation-expands-include-donald-trumps-personal-attorney/story?id=47646601 |work=ABC News |date=May 30, 2017 |title=Congress expands Russia investigation to include Trump's personal attorney |first1=Brian |last1=Ross |first2=Matthew |last2=Mosk |access-date=May 30, 2017}} Cohen had attempted to contact Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during the 2016 campaign, asking for help in advancing plans for a Trump Tower in Moscow.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/top-trump-organization-executive-reached-out-to-putin-aide-for-help-on-business-deal/2017/08/28/095aebac-8c16-11e7-84c0-02cc069f2c37_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=August 28, 2017 |title=Top Trump Organization executive asked Putin aide for help on business deal |first1=Rosalind |last1=Helderman |first2=Carol |last2=Leonig |first3=Tom |last3=Hamburger |access-date=August 29, 2017}}

In May 2017 longtime Republican operative Peter W. Smith confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that during the 2016 campaign he had been actively involved in trying to obtain emails he believed had been hacked from Hillary Clinton's computer server.{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/gop-operative-sought-clinton-emails-from-hackers-implied-a-connection-to-flynn-1498770851|title=GOP Operative Sought Clinton Emails From Hackers, Implied a Connection to Flynn|last=Harris|first=Shane|date=June 29, 2017|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=July 3, 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/340166-gop-investigation-sought-connection-between-clintons-emails-and-russia/|title=GOP investigation sought connection between Clinton's emails and Russia: report|last=Cohn|first=Alicia|date=June 29, 2017|work=The Hill|access-date=July 3, 2017|archive-date=July 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702055719/http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/340166-gop-investigation-sought-connection-between-clintons-emails-and-russia|url-status=live}} In that quest he contacted several known hacker groups, including some Russian groups.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/30/russia-hackers-clinton-emails-mike-flynn|title=Russia hackers discussed getting Clinton emails to Michael Flynn—report|last=Borger|first=Julian|date=June 30, 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=July 3, 2017}} He claimed he was working on behalf of Trump campaign advisor (later national security advisor) Michael Flynn and Flynn's son. At around the same time, there were intelligence reports that Russian hackers were trying to obtain Clinton's emails to pass to Flynn through an unnamed intermediary.

Five of the hacker groups Smith contacted, including at least two Russian groups, claimed to have Clinton's emails. He was shown some information but was not convinced it was genuine, and suggested the hackers give it to WikiLeaks instead. A document describing Smith's plans claimed that Flynn, Kellyanne Conway, Steve Bannon, and other campaign advisors were coordinating with him "to the extent permitted as an independent expenditure".{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Shane |last2=Bender |first2=Michael C. |last3=Nicholas |first3=Peter |title=GOP Activist Who Sought Clinton Emails Cited Trump Campaign Officials |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/gop-activist-who-sought-clinton-emails-cited-trump-campaign-officials-1498872923 |access-date=January 20, 2019 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=July 1, 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/time-i-got-recruited-collude-russians|title=The Time I Got Recruited to Collude with the Russians|last=Tait|first=Matt|date=June 30, 2017|publisher=Lawfare|access-date=July 6, 2017}} The White House, a campaign official, Conway, and Bannon all denied any connection with Smith's effort. British blogger Matt Tait said Smith had contacted him—curiously, around the same time Trump called for the Russians to get Hillary Clinton's missing emails—to ask him to help authenticate any materials that might be forthcoming.{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2017/6/29/15896582/trump-russia-michael-flynn-wsj|title=New reports raise some big questions about Michael Flynn and Russian hackers|last=Prokop|first=Andrew|date=July 1, 2017|publisher=Vox|access-date=July 7, 2017}} Ten days after his interview with The Wall Street Journal, Smith committed suicide in a Minnesota hotel room, citing declining health.{{cite news |last1=Skiba|first1=Katherine|last2=Lighty|first2=Todd|last3=Heinzmann|first3=David|title=Peter W. Smith, GOP operative who sought Clinton's emails from Russian hackers, committed suicide, records show|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-peter-smith-death-met-0713-20170713-story.html|newspaper=Chicago Tribune |access-date=July 14, 2017}}

{{Main|Steele dossier}}

{{Wikisource|Senate Judiciary Committee Interview of Glenn Simpson}}

{{Wikisource|House_Intelligence_Committee_Interview_of_Glenn_Simpson|House Intelligence Committee Interview of Glenn Simpson Transcript}}

In June 2016, Christopher Steele, a former MI6 agent, was hired by Fusion GPS to produce opposition research on Donald Trump. In October 2015, before Steele was hired, Trump's Republican political opponents had hired Fusion GPS to do opposition research on Trump. When they stopped their funding, Fusion GPS hired Steele to continue that research, but with more focus on Trump's Russian connections. In the beginning, Steele did not know the identities of Fusion GPS's ultimate clients, which were no longer Republicans, but the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign. His reports, based on information provided by his witting and unwitting Russian sources and sources close to the Trump campaign, included alleged kompromat that may make Trump vulnerable to blackmail from Russia.

In October 2016, a 33-page compilation was shared with Mother Jones magazine, which described some of its contents, but other mainstream media would not report on it because they could not confirm the material's credibility.{{Cite news |last=Corn |first=David |author-link=David Corn |date=October 31, 2016 |title=A Veteran Spy Has Given the FBI Information Alleging a Russian Operation to Cultivate Donald Trump |work=Mother Jones |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/veteran-spy-gave-fbi-info-alleging-russian-operation-cultivate-donald-trump |access-date=January 12, 2017}} In December 2016, two more pages were added alleging efforts by Trump's lawyer to pay those who had hacked the DNC and arranging to cover up any evidence of their deeds.{{cite web | last=Harding | first=Luke | title=What do we know about alleged links between Trump and Russia? | website=The Guardian | date=May 10, 2017 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/10/qa-what-we-know-about-alleged-links-between-trump-and-russia | access-date=October 25, 2017}}{{cite web |last=Borger |first=Julian |title=UK was given details of alleged contacts between Trump campaign and Moscow |website=The Guardian |date=April 28, 2017 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/28/trump-russia-intelligence-uk-government-m16-kremlin |access-date=April 30, 2017}} On January 5, 2017, U.S. intelligence agencies briefed President Obama and President-elect Trump on the existence of these documents.{{cite news |title=What We Know and Don't Know About the Trump-Russia Dossier |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/trump-intelligence-report-explainer.html |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Scott |last=Shane |date=January 11, 2017 |access-date=January 12, 2017}} Eventually, the dossier was published in full by BuzzFeed News on January 10.{{cite news |title=BuzzFeed's ridiculous rationale for publishing the Trump-Russia dossier |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/01/10/buzzfeeds-ridiculous-rationale-for-publishing-the-trump-russia-dossier/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |first=Eric |last=Wemple |date=January 10, 2017 |access-date=January 11, 2017}}

In October 2016, the FBI used the dossier as part of its justification to obtain a FISA warrant to resume monitoring of former Trump foreign policy advisor Carter Page. However, officials would not say exactly what or how much of the dossier was actually corroborated.{{cite news | last1=Perez | first1=Evan | last2=Prokupecz | first2=Shimon | last3=Raju | first3=Manu | title=FBI used dossier allegations to bolster Trump-Russia investigation | publisher=CNN| date=April 18, 2017 | url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/18/politics/fbi-dossier-carter-page-donald-trump-russia-investigation/index.html | access-date=April 19, 2017}}

John Brennan and James Clapper testified to Congress that Steele's dossier played no role in the January 6, 2017, intelligence community assessment (ICA) of the Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections,{{cite web |last=Samuels |first=Brett |title=Ex-CIA chief: Steele dossier played no role in intelligence assessment on Russia's election interference |website=The Hill |date=February 4, 2018 |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/372222-ex-cia-chief-steele-dossier-played-no-role-whatsoever-in/ |access-date=June 5, 2019 |archive-date=June 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605113908/https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/372222-ex-cia-chief-steele-dossier-played-no-role-whatsoever-in |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Benner |first1=Katie |last2=Barnes |first2=Julian E. |title=Durham Is Scrutinizing Ex-C.I.A. Director's Role in Russian Interference Findings |website=The New York Times |date=December 19, 2019 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/19/us/politics/durham-john-brennan-cia.html |access-date=December 22, 2019}} testimony which was reaffirmed by an April 2020 bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report that found the dossier was not used to "support any of its analytic judgments".{{cite news |last1=Jalonick |first1=Mary Clare |last2=Tucker |first2=Eric |title=Senate panel backs assessment that Russia interfered in 2016 |url=https://apnews.com/d094918c0421b872eac7dc4b16e613c7 |access-date=April 22, 2020 |work=Associated Press |date=April 21, 2020}}

There were conflicting opinions between the FBI and CIA on whether to include any of the dossier's allegations in the body of the ICA report, with the FBI pushing for inclusion, and the CIA countering that the dossier "was not completely vetted and did not merit inclusion in the body of the report". After much discussion, the CIA prevailed,{{cite web | last=Dunleavy | first=Jerry | title=Comey and McCabe fought to include Steele dossier in intelligence assessment on Russian interference | website=Washington Examiner | date=December 9, 2019 | url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/663694/comey-and-mccabe-fought-to-include-steele-dossier-in-intelligence-assessment-on-russian-interference/ | access-date=September 26, 2024}} and the final ICA report only included a short summary of Steele's reporting in the "highly classified" Annex A.{{cite web | last=Knutson | first=Jacob | title=Senate Intelligence Committee affirms that Russia interfered to help Trump in 2016 | website=Axios | date=April 21, 2020 | url=https://www.axios.com/2020/04/21/senate-inteligence-committee-russia-trump | access-date=September 25, 2024 | quote=Worth noting: The report finds that U.S. intelligence agencies did not use information from the infamous Steele dossier to support its findings. The dossier was included in a highly classified annex to the assessment, which was in line with President Obama's directive.}}{{cite web | publisher=Senate Intelligence Committee (SIC) | date=August 18, 2020 | title=Volume 4: Review of the Intelligence Community Assessment | website=intelligence.senate.gov | url=https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Report_Volume4.pdf | access-date=September 24, 2024 | quote=The Committee found that the information provided by Christopher Steele to FBI was not used in the body of the ICA or to support any of its analytic judgments. However, a summary of this material was included in Annex A as a compromise to FBI's insistence that the information was responsive to the presidential tasking.}}{{rp|7}} There were other reasons to not include it, and CNN wrote that:

{{blockquote| The intelligence agencies, particularly the CIA, and the FBI took Steele’s research seriously enough that they kept it out of a publicly-released January report on Russian meddling in the election in order to not divulge which parts of the dossier they had corroborated and how.{{spaces}}... And if that report included the dossier allegations, the intelligence community would have to say which parts it had corroborated and how. That would compromise sources and methods, including information shared by foreign intelligence services, intelligence officials believed.{{cite news |last1=Perez |first1=Evan |last2=Prokupecz |first2=Shimon |last3=Brown |first3=Pamela |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/05/politics/special-counsel-russia-dossier-christopher-steele/index.html |title=Mueller's team met with Russia dossier author |agency=CNN |date=October 25, 2017 |access-date=November 5, 2017}}}}

In December 2019, Switzerland extradited Russian businessman Vladislav Klyushin to the United States, where it was reported that he would face questions about the Russian government's interference in the 2016 election, though the US Government has not publicly implicated him.{{cite web|last=Lyngaas |first=Sean |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/03/politics/vladislav-klyushin-kremlin-ties-federal-court/index.html |title=Russian businessman's Kremlin ties could prove intelligence 'gold mine' for US, former official says - CNNPolitics |publisher=CNN |date=2022-01-03 |access-date=2022-03-14}}

Polls conducted in early January 2017 showed that 55% of respondents believed Russia interfered in the election;{{cite web|url=https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2417|title=American Voters Back Sanctions For Russian Hacking, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds Israel, Palestinians Not Sincere About Peace, Voters Say|date=January 13, 2017|publisher=Quinnipiac University}} 51% believed Russia intervened through hacking.{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/about-half-of-americans-think-russia-interfered-with-election-through-hacking-poll-finds-1484686800|title=About Half of Americans Think Russia Interfered With Election Through Hacking, Poll Finds|date=January 17, 2017 |first=Reid J. |last=Epstein |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=January 17, 2017}} {{As of|2017|February}} public-opinion polls showed a partisan split on the importance of Russia's involvement in the 2016 election.{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-russia-polls-235667|title=Russia investigations a 'witch hunt'? Not according to polls|author=Shepard, Steven|date=March 3, 2017 |newspaper=Politico |access-date=March 4, 2017}} The broader issue of the Trump administration's relationship with Russia didn't register among the most important problems facing the U.S.{{cite web|publisher=Gallup tracking poll|title=Most Important Problem|date=October 12, 2007|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/1675/most-important-problem.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918124707/https://news.gallup.com/poll/1675/most-important-problem.aspx|archive-date=September 18, 2017|access-date=August 6, 2018|url-status=live}} An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 53 percent wanted a Congressional inquiry into communications in 2016 between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.{{cite news|author=Dann, Carrie|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/majority-americans-say-congress-should-probe-contact-between-trump-russia-n725391|date=February 24, 2017|title=Majority of Americans Say Congress Should Probe Contact Between Trump, Russia: Poll|work=NBC News|access-date=August 5, 2018}} Quinnipiac University found that 47 percent thought it was very important.{{cite news|url=https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2432|title=Republicans Out Of Step With U.S. Voters On Key Issues, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Most Voters Support Legalized Marijuana|date=February 23, 2017|publisher=Quinnipiac University|access-date=March 4, 2017}} A March 2017 poll conducted by the Associated Press and NORC found about 62% of respondents say they are at least moderately concerned about the possibility that Trump or his campaign had inappropriate contacts with Russia during the 2016 campaign.{{cite news | title=The Trump Administration and Russia | publisher=Associated Press NORC Center for Public Affairs Research | date=April 14, 2017 | url=http://apnorc.org/projects/Pages/russia-and-the-2016-election.aspx | access-date=April 14, 2017}}

A January 2017 poll conducted by the Levada Center, Russia's largest independent polling organization, showed that only 12% of Russian respondents believed Russia "definitely" or "probably" interfered in the U.S. election.{{cite web |title=Donald Trump's election |date=February 6, 2017 |url=https://www.levada.ru/en/2017/02/06/donald-trump-s-election/ |publisher=Levada Center |access-date=January 13, 2019}} A December 2017 survey conducted by the Levada Center found that 31% of Russian respondents thought their government tried to influence U.S. domestic affairs in a significant way."[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/02/07/more-russians-are-sure-of-the-u-s-meddling-in-their-politics-than-the-other-way-around-poll-finds/ More Russians are sure of the U.S. meddling in their politics than the other way around, poll finds]". The Washington Post. February 7, 2018.

A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in late March and early April 2017 found that 68% of voters supported "an independent commission investigating the potential links between some of Donald Trump's campaign advisors and the Russian government".{{cite web|url=https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2449|title=Two-Thirds Of U.S. Voters Take Climate Personally, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Opposition To The Wall Hits New High|publisher=Quinnipiac University|date=April 5, 2017|access-date=April 6, 2017}} An April 2017 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that respondents had little confidence in Congress's investigation into the Russian interference in the election. The poll found that approximately 73% supported a "nonpartisan, independent commission" to look into Russia's involvement in the election.{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/poll-americans-doubtful-of-congresss-ability-to-probe-russia-meddling-in-u-s-election-1493049600|title=Poll: Americans Doubtful of Congress's Ability to Probe Russia Meddling in U.S. Election|first=Aaron|last=Zitner|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=April 24, 2017|access-date=April 24, 2017}} An ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted in April 2017 found that 56 percent of respondents thought Russia tried to influence the election.{{cite news | last=Holyk | first=Gregory | date=April 26, 2017 | title=Republicans and Democrats split over Russia probes: Poll | work=ABC News | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/views-russian-influence-reflect-partisan-finger-pointing-poll/story?id=47008462 | access-date=May 2, 2017}}

A May 2017 Monmouth University poll, conducted after the dismissal of James Comey, found that "nearly 6-in-10 Americans thought it was either very (40%) or somewhat (19%) likely that Comey was fired in order to slow down or stop the FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible links with the Trump campaign." Like other recent opinion polls, a majority, 73%, said that the FBI investigation should continue.{{cite web|url=https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/MonmouthPoll_US_051817/|title=Does Trump-Russia Relationship Pose Security Threat? Public Split|publisher=Monmouth University|date=May 18, 2017}}

A June 2017 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that respondents were more likely to believe James Comey over Trump when it came to their differing accounts behind the reasons for Comey's dismissal. The survey found that 45% of respondents were more likely to believe Comey than Trump. The poll also found that the number of respondents disapproving of Trump's decision to fire Comey, 46%, was higher than when the same question was asked in May of the same year. 53% of respondents said that they believed that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, however the number changes by party affiliation. 78% of Democrats said that they believed there was interference, versus 26% of Republicans who agreed.{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/poll-more-americans-believe-comey-over-trump-n776006|title=Poll: More Americans Believe Comey Over Trump|first=Mark|last=Murray|work=NBC News|date=June 23, 2017}} An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist College poll conducted in late June 2017 found that 54% of respondents believed that Trump either did "something illegal" or "something unethical, but not illegal" in his dealings with Russian president Vladimir Putin. The poll found that 73% of Republicans said Trump himself has done "nothing wrong" while 41% of Democrats believed that Trump did something that was illegal. In addition, 47% said that they thought Russia was a major threat to future U.S. elections, while 13% of respondents said that Russia posed no threat at all.{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/07/06/535626356/on-russia-republican-and-democratic-lenses-have-a-very-different-tint|title=Majority Of Americans Believe Trump Acted Either Illegally Or Unethically With Russia|publisher=NPR|first=Jessica|last=Taylor|date=July 6, 2017}}

A July 2017 ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 63% of respondents said that it "was inappropriate for Trump's son, son-in-law and campaign manager to have met with a Russian lawyer during the campaign." The poll also found that six in ten overall who think that Russia tried to influence the election, with 72% saying that they thought that Trump benefited and that "67 percent thought that members of his campaign intentionally helped those efforts."{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/months-record-low-trump-troubles-russia-health-care/story?id=48639490|title=6 months in, record low job approval for Trump: Poll|first=Gary|last=Langer|work=ABC News|date=July 16, 2017}}

Polls conducted in August 2017 found widespread disapproval and distrust of Trump's handling of the investigation. A CNN/SSRS poll conducted in early August found that only 31% of respondents approved of Trump's handling of the matter. The poll also noted that 60% of adults "thought that it was a serious matter that should be fully investigated." On party lines, the poll found that 15% of Democrats and 56% of Republicans approved of Trump's handling of the matter.{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/10/politics/cnn-poll-russia-investigation-trump-finances/index.html|title=Poll: Trump finances fair game in Russia investigation|website=CNN|first=Jennifer|last=Agiesta|date=August 10, 2017}} A Gallup poll from the same month found similar trends. The poll found that 25% of respondents said Trump acted illegally in dealings with the Russians. The poll found that 6% of Republicans and Republican-leaners thought Trump did something illegal in his dealings with the Russians.{{cite web|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/215648/americans-say-trump-acted-illegally-russia.aspx|title=1{{nbsp}}in{{nbsp}}4 Americans Say Trump Acted Illegally With Russia|website=Gallup|first=Jeffrey M.|last=Jones|date=August 9, 2017|access-date=August 13, 2017}} A poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 58% of respondents expressed a negative view of Russia, while 25% had a favorable view of the country. The poll also found that 48% believed "there is clear evidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help the Trump campaign."{{cite web|url=https://www.prri.org/research/poll-trump-russia-investigation-impeachment-republican-party/|title=Support for Impeachment Grows; Half of Americans Believe Russia Interfered with Election|date=August 17, 2017|access-date=September 22, 2017}} The broader issue of the Trump administration's relationship with Russia, however, was not identified by more than one percent of respondents in Gallup tracking of 'Most Important Problem' at any point since February 2017. (As of July 2018, it was less than half a percent.)

A July 2018 an online Ipsos poll found that 60% of American believed that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election with 85% of democrats and 53% of Independents believing so compared to 46% of Republicans. 66% of democrats approved of the special counsel investigation compared to 32% of Republicans and 36% of Independents. In addition 75% of republicans believed the special counsel investigation was the result of anti-Trump bias. Compared to 32% of democrats and 36% of independents.{{cite web|last=Alexander Nieves|title=Poll: 60 percent of Americans say Russia meddled in 2016 election|url=https://politi.co/2uL3NGJ|access-date=2021-06-15|website=Politico|date=July 18, 2018 |language=en}}

A July 2018 Ipsos/Reuters poll found that 56% of Americans believed that Russia did interfere in support of Trump.{{cite web|last=Kirby|first=Jen|date=2018-07-19|title=Poll: only 32 percent of Republicans think Russia interfered in the 2016 election|url=https://www.vox.com/2018/7/19/17586390/poll-russia-trump-election-interference-republicans|access-date=2021-06-15|website=Vox|language=en}}

A March 2019 poll released after reports of the findings of the Mueller report found that 48% of respondents said they believed "Trump or someone from his campaign worked with Russia to influence the 2016 election"; 53% said "Trump tried to stop investigations into Russian influence on his administration"; and "Democrats [were] much more likely than Republicans to believe that Trump colluded with Russia and obstructed justice." In addition, 39% of respondents felt that Trump "should be impeached", while 49% said that he should not.{{Cite news|last=Kahn|first=Chris|date=2019-03-27|title=Despite report findings, almost half of Americans think Trump colluded with Russia: Reuters/Ipsos poll|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-poll-idUSKCN1R72S0|access-date=2021-06-15}}

File:Hillary Clinton by Gage Skidmore 4 (cropped).jpg said Vladimir Putin held a grudge against her due to her criticism of the 2011 Russian legislative election.]]

On December 15, 2016, Hillary Clinton said she partially attributed her loss in the 2016 election to Russian meddling organized by Putin.{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hillary-clinton-singles-out-putin-comey-election-loss-n696991|work=NBC News |date=December 16, 2016|title=Hillary Clinton Singles Out Putin, Comey in Election Loss|first=Halimah|last=Abdullah |access-date=December 17, 2016}} Clinton said Putin had a personal grudge against her. She linked Putin's feelings about her to her criticism of the 2011 Russian legislative election, adding that he felt she was responsible for fomenting the 2011–13 Russian protests.{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/12/16/505858615/in-leaked-remarks-hillary-clinton-explains-putins-beef-with-her|publisher=NPR|first=Tamara|last=Keith |title=In Leaked Remarks, Hillary Clinton Explains Putin's 'Beef' With Her |date=December 16, 2016 |access-date=December 17, 2016}} Clinton drew a specific connection from her 2011 assertions as U.S. Secretary of State that Putin rigged the Russian elections that year to his efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. elections.{{cite news|first=Amy|last=Chozick |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/us/politics/hillary-clinton-russia-fbi-comey.html|work=The New York Times|title=Clinton Says 'Personal Beef' by Putin Led to Hacking Attacks|date=December 17, 2016|page=A12 |access-date=December 17, 2016}} During the third presidential debate, Clinton had stated that Putin favored Trump "because he'd rather have a puppet as president of the United States".{{cite news | last=Blake | first=Aaron | title=The final Trump-Clinton debate transcript, annotated | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=October 19, 2016 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/19/the-final-trump-clinton-debate-transcript-annotated/ | access-date=April 3, 2017}} Clinton said that by personally attacking her through meddling in the election, Putin attacked the American democratic system. She said the Russian cyberattacks did not just affect her candidacy, but were an attempt to attack the national security of the United States. Clinton acknowledged that she was unsuccessful in sufficiently publicizing to the media the cyberattacks against her campaign in the months leading up to the election. She voiced her support for a proposal put forth by Senators from both parties, to set up an investigative panel to look into the matter akin to the 9/11 Commission.

Chief of staff-designate for Trump and outgoing RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in December 2016 that he still didn't know who hacked the DNC's computer servers.

The RNC said there was no intrusion into its servers, while acknowledging email accounts of individual Republicans (including Colin Powell) were breached. More than 200 emails from Colin Powell were posted on the website DC Leaks. Priebus appeared on Meet the Press on December 11, 2016, and discounted the CIA conclusions. Priebus said the FBI had investigated and found that RNC servers had not been hacked.

File:Donald Trump official portrait.jpg dismissed the U.S. Intelligence Community's conclusions.]]

File:President Trump Holds a Joint Press Conference with the President of the Russian Federation.webm]]

Prior to his presidential run, Donald Trump made statements to Fox News in 2014 in which he agreed with an assessment by then FBI director James Comey about hacking against the U.S. by Russia and China.{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/19/politics/kfile-trump-russia-hacking/|publisher=CNN|title=Trump said in 2014 that Russian hacking was a 'big problem'|first= Andrew |last=Kaczynski|date=December 19, 2016 |access-date=December 20, 2016}} Trump was played a clip of Comey from 60 Minutes discussing the dangers of cyber attacks. Trump stated he agreed with the problem of cyber threats posed by China, and went on to emphasize there was a similar problem towards the U.S. posed by Russia.

In September 2016, during the first presidential debate, Trump said he doubted whether anyone knew who hacked the DNC, and disputed Russian interference.{{cite news |last1=Pramuk |first1=Jacob |title=Trump: DNC hacker could have been 400 pounds and sitting in bed |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/26/clinton-trump-publicly-invited-russia-to-hack-us-which-is-unacceptable.html |publisher=CNBC |date=September 26, 2016 |access-date=December 14, 2016}} During the second debate, Trump said there might not have been hacking at all, and questioned why accountability was placed on Russia.{{cite magazine |last1=Fox-Brewster |first1=Thomas |title=Clinton Claims Putin's Hackers Are Punting For Trump |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2016/10/10/clinton-claims-putins-hackers-are-punting-for-trump/#4a93209c1fb9 |magazine=Forbes |date=October 10, 2016 |access-date=December 14, 2016}}

During the third debate, Trump rejected Clinton's claim that Putin favored Trump. Trump's words "our country has no idea" and "I doubt it" were deeply shocking to the British because "all NATO allies" and "all of America's intelligence agencies" were "sure Russia was behind the hacking", according to Kurt Eichenwald of Newsweek. Trump denied these conclusions "based on absolutely nothing.{{nbsp}}... That he would so aggressively fight to clear Putin and cast aspersions on all Western intelligence agencies, left the British officials slack-jawed."{{cite web | last=Eichenwald | first=Kurt | date=November 4, 2016 | title=Why Vladimir Putin's Russia Is Backing Donald Trump | website=Newsweek | url=http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-russia-hillary-clinton-united-states-europe-516895 | access-date=December 29, 2017}}

After the election, Trump rejected the CIA analysis and asserted that the reports were politically motivated to deflect from the Democrats' electoral defeat.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/11/us/politics/trump-russia-democrats.html |title=Trump Links C.I.A. Reports on Russia to Democrats' Shame Over Election |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Nicholas |last=Fandos |date=December 11, 2016}} Trump's transition team said in a brief statement: "These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction."{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-12-10/trump-s-team-mocks-probe-of-foreign-intervention-in-election |title=Team Trump Mocks Suggestion of Russian Meddling in Election |publisher=Bloomberg News |first=Chris |last=Strohm |date=December 10, 2016 |access-date=December 10, 2016}} However, the intelligence analysts involved in monitoring Russian activities were different from those who assessed that Iraq had stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, while post-Iraq War reforms have made it less likely for similar errors to reach the highest levels of the U.S. intelligence community.{{cite news |author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist)|last=Kessler |first=Glenn |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/12/13/the-pre-war-intelligence-on-iraq-wrong-or-hyped-by-the-bush-white-house/ |title=The pre-war intelligence on Iraq: Wrong or hyped by the Bush White House? |date=December 13, 2016 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=October 2, 2017}} Trump dismissed reports of Russia's interference, calling them "ridiculous"; he placed blame on Democrats upset over election results for publicizing these reports,{{cite news |last=Flores |first=Reena |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-weighs-in-on-russia-hacking-election-cia-intelligence/ |title=Donald Trump weighs in on Russia hacking election, CIA intelligence |work=CBS News |date=December 11, 2016 |access-date=December 13, 2016}} and cited Julian Assange's statement that "a 14-year-old kid could have hacked Podesta".{{cite news |last1=Gittens|first1=Hasani|last2=Dilanian|first2=Ken|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-takes-jab-intelligence-officials-allegedly-delaying-russian-hacking-briefing-n702906|title=Trump Takes Jab at 'Intelligence' Officials for Allegedly Delaying 'Russian Hacking' Briefing|work=NBC News |date=January 4, 2017|access-date=January 5, 2017}} After Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats and announced further sanctions on Russia, Trump commended Putin for refraining from retaliatory measures against the United States until the Trump administration would lay out its policy towards Russia.{{cite news|title=Trump praises 'very smart' Putin for not expelling US diplomats|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/30/russia-plans-immediate-counter-measures-us-diplomats|newspaper=The Guardian|date=December 30, 2016}}

File:WATCH Trump says Russia will have greater respect for U.S..webmhd.webm

On January 6, 2017, after meeting with members of U.S. intelligence agencies, Trump released a statement saying: cyberwarfare had no impact on the election and did not harm voting machines. In the same statement, he vowed to form a national cybersecurity task force to prepare an anti-hacking plan within 90 days of taking office.{{cite news|title=Trump to order anti-hacking plan within 90 days of taking office—statement |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-order-anti-hacking-plan-within-90-days-194950568.html |newspaper=Yahoo! News |date=January 6, 2017}} Referring to the Office of Personnel Management data breach in 2015, Trump said he was under a "political witch hunt" and wondered why there was no focus on China.{{cite news|title=After Security Meeting, Trump Admits Possibility of Russian Hacking |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/us/politics/donald-trump-wall-hack-russia.html?_r=0 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 6, 2017}} Two days later, Reince Priebus said Trump had begun to acknowledge that "entities in Russia" were involved in the DNC leaks.{{cite news|last1=Clarke|first1=Toni|last2=Volz|first2=Dustin|title=Trump acknowledges Russia role in U.S. election hacking: aide|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-cyber-idUSKBN14S0O6 |work=Reuters |date=January 8, 2017 |access-date=January 9, 2017}} On January 11, 2017, Trump conceded that Russia was probably the source of the leaks, although he also said it could have been another country.{{cite news|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Weisman|first2=Jonathan|title=Trump Says 'I Think It Was Russia' That Hacked the Democrats|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/donald-trump-press-conference.html |work=The New York Times |date=January 11, 2017 |access-date=January 11, 2017}}{{cite news | last1=Davis | first1=Julie Hirschfeld | last2=Haberman | first2=Maggie |author2-link=Maggie Haberman | title=Donald Trump Concedes Russia's Interference in Election | newspaper=The New York Times | date=January 11, 2017 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/trumps-press-conference-highlights-russia.html | access-date=April 14, 2017}}

On November 11, 2017, after meeting Vladimir Putin at a summit in Vietnam, Trump said, "I just asked him again. He said he absolutely did not meddle in our election.{{nbsp}}... Every time he sees me he says: 'I didn't do that,' and I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it."{{cite news|last1=Holmes|first1=Oliver|title=Trump on Putin's denial of meddling in US election: 'I believe him'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/11/putin-and-trump-want-political-solution-to-syria-conflict-kremlin-says|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=November 11, 2017}} Trump went on to contrast Putin's "very strongly, vehemently" spoken denials with the word of American former intelligence officials who he termed as "political hacks": John Brennan, James Clapper, and the "liar" and "leaker" James Comey.{{cite web|last1=Liptak|first1=Kevin|last2=Merica|first2=Dan|title=Trump says he believes Putin's election meddling denials|date=November 11, 2017 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/11/politics/president-donald-trump-vladimir-putin-election-meddling/index.html|publisher=CNN|access-date=November 11, 2017}} But a day later, when asked to clarify his comments, Trump said, "As to whether I believe it or not, I'm with our [intelligence] agencies, especially as currently constituted."{{cite news|title=Trump backs US spy agencies after Putin meddling remark|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41959341|work=BBC News|access-date=November 12, 2017}} Brennan and Clapper, appearing on CNN, expressed concern that Trump was "giving Putin a pass" and showing the Russian leader that "Donald Trump can be played by foreign leaders who are going to appeal to his ego and try to play upon his insecurities."{{cite news|last1=Wagner|first1=John|title=Former U.S. intelligence officials: Trump being 'played' by Putin|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/11/12/former-u-s-intelligence-officials-trump-being-played-by-putin/|access-date=November 12, 2017|date=November 12, 2017}}

In 2019, The Washington Post revealed that (according to former officials) in May 2017 Trump had privately told Russian officials Sergey Lavrov and Sergey Kislyak he wasn't concerned about Russia interfering in American elections.{{cite news |title=Trump told Russians in 2017 he was not concerned about election meddling: Washington Post |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-whistleblower-russia/trump-told-russians-in-2017-he-was-not-concerned-about-election-meddling-washington-post-idUSKBN1WD022 |work=Reuters |date=28 September 2019}} In early October 2022, The New York Times reported that Trump had retained secret government documents found by the FBI at his Mar-a-Lago domicile earlier the same year with the intention of pressuring the agency into trading them for files allegedly substantiating his claims that any Russian interference during the election was a "hoax", as he had constantly maintained in public.{{cite news|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|last2=Smith|first2=Michael S.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/08/us/politics/trump-documents-lawyers.html|title=How Trump Deflected Demands for Documents, Enmeshing Aides|date=October 8, 2022|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=October 9, 2022}}

File:Leon Panetta official portrait.jpg

Tim Weiner writes that experienced intelligence personnel, such as "veteran American spies, spymasters, and spy-catchers", including Leon Panetta, have described Trump as an "agent of influence",{{cite news | last=Weiner | first=Tim | author-link=Tim Weiner | title=The unanswered question of our time: Is Trump an agent of Russia? | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=September 21, 2020 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/09/21/russian-agent-trump-counterintelligence/ | access-date=June 1, 2024}} someone who uses his position, power, and influence in the interests of an enemy power:{{cite web | last=Weiner | first=Tim | author-link=Tim Weiner | title=Trump Makes America More Like Russia Every Day | website=The Daily Beast | date=September 20, 2020 | url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-makes-america-more-like-russia-every-day | access-date=June 1, 2024}}

{{blockquote| Leon Panetta, who ran the CIA and the Pentagon under President Obama, has no doubt about it. He told me that, by any definition, 'Trump, for all intents and purposes, acts as an agent of influence of Russia.'{{spaces}}... [Many] veteran American spies, spymasters, and spy-catchers{{spaces}}... concur with Panetta. But they have other theories as well. There's the useful idiot scenario. Or maybe it's money: the Russians might have kompromat—compromising information—about Trump's finances. And some think it might be worse than that.}}

The Steele dossier alleges that the Russians have kompromat on Trump which could be used to blackmail him, and that the Kremlin promised the kompromat will not be used as long as he continues his cooperation with them.{{cite news | last1=Withnall | first1=Adam | last2=Sengupta | first2=Kim | title=The 10 key Donald Trump allegations from the classified Russia memos | website=The Independent | date=January 12, 2017 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-russia-10-allegations-dossier-kremlin-michael-cohen-sex-claims-intelligence-reports-a7522056.html | access-date=December 29, 2017}}{{cite web|last=Bertrand|first=Natasha|author-link=Natasha Bertrand|date=January 10, 2017|title=Report: Trump briefed on unverified claims that Russian operatives have compromising information on him|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/russians-say-they-have-compromising-information-on-trump-2017-1|access-date=February 26, 2018|website=Business Insider}} Trump's actions at the Helsinki summit in 2018 "led many to conclude that Steele's report was more accurate than not.{{nbsp}}... Trump sided with the Russians over the U.S. intelligence community's assessment that Moscow had waged an all-out attack on the 2016 election{{nbsp}}... The joint news conference{{nbsp}}... cemented fears among some that Trump was in Putin's pocket and prompted bipartisan backlash."{{cite web|last=Bertrand|first=Natasha|author-link=Natasha Bertrand|date=September 30, 2019|title=The Russia Hawk in the White House|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/30/fiona-hill-russia-trump-adviser-228758/|access-date=November 11, 2019|website=Politico}}

At the joint news conference, when asked directly about the subject, Putin denied that he had any kompromat on Trump. Even though Trump was reportedly given a "gift from Putin" the weekend of the pageant, Putin argued "that he did not even know Trump was in Russia for the Miss Universe pageant in 2013 when, according to the Steele dossier, video of Trump was secretly recorded to blackmail him."{{cite web | last=Mackey | first=Robert | title=Trump and Putin Met in Helsinki's Hall of Mirrors. Here Are the Highlights. | website=The Intercept | date=July 16, 2018 | url=https://theintercept.com/2018/07/16/live-trump-and-putin-meet-in-helsinkis-hall-of-mirrors/ | access-date=November 11, 2019}}

In reaction to Trump's actions at the summit, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) spoke in the Senate:

{{blockquote|Millions of Americans will continue to wonder if the only possible explanation for this dangerous and inexplicable behavior is the possibility—the very real possibility—that President Putin holds damaging information over President Trump.{{cite news | last=Blake | first=Aaron | title=The growing Trump-Putin kompromat question | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=July 17, 2018 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/07/17/does-putin-have-kompromat-on-trump-suddenly-its-no-longer-such-a-taboo-question-thanks-to-trump/ | access-date=November 11, 2019}}}} {{clear}}

Several operatives and lawyers in the U.S. intelligence community reacted strongly to Trump's performance at the summit. They described it as "subservien[ce] to Putin" and a "fervent defense of Russia's military and cyber aggression around the world, and its violation of international law in Ukraine" which they saw as "harmful to U.S. interests". They also suggested that he was either a "Russian asset" or a "useful idiot" for Putin,{{cite web | last=Sheth | first=Sonam | title=US spies say Trump's G7 performance suggests he's either a 'Russian asset' or a 'useful idiot' for Putin | website=Business Insider | date=August 30, 2019 | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/spies-react-trump-g7-summit-russian-asset-2019-8 | access-date=November 12, 2019}} and that he looked like "Putin's puppet".{{cite web | last=Sheth | first=Sonam | title=Russia came out the winner of this year's G7 summit, and Trump looked like 'Putin's puppet' | website=Business Insider | date=August 27, 2019 | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-was-the-winner-g7-trump-crimea-2019-8 | access-date=November 12, 2019}} Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper wondered "if Russians have something on Trump",{{cite news | title=Clapper: I wonder if Russians have something on Trump | website=CNN | date=July 19, 2018 | url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/07/19/james-clapper-trump-helsinki-behavior-putin-bpr-vpx.cnn | access-date=November 12, 2019}} and former CIA director John O. Brennan, who has accused Trump of "treason", tweeted: "He is wholly in the pocket of Putin."{{cite web | last1=Sevastopulo | first1=Demetri | last2=Hille | first2=Kathrin | title=Trump-Putin: Will Helsinki prove a turning point for the Republicans? | website=Financial Times | date=July 20, 2018 | url=https://www.ft.com/content/19415d54-8c05-11e8-b18d-0181731a0340 | access-date=November 12, 2019}}

Former acting CIA director Michael Morell has called Trump "an unwitting agent of the Russian federation", and former CIA director Michael V. Hayden said Trump was a "useful fool" who is "manipulated by Moscow".{{cite news | last=Boot | first=Max | title=Here are 18 reasons Trump could be a Russian asset | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=January 13, 2019 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/here-are-18-reasons-why-trump-could-be-a-russian-asset/2019/01/13/45b1b250-174f-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html | access-date=November 12, 2019}} House Speaker Nancy Pelosi questioned Trump's loyalty when she asked him: "[Why do] all roads lead to Putin?"{{cite news | last1=DeBonis | first1=Mike | last2=Kim | first2=Seung Min | title='All roads lead to Putin': Pelosi questions Trump's loyalty in White House clash | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=October 17, 2019 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/pelosi-recalls-clash-with-trump-says-she-was-probably-telling-him-that-all-roads-lead-to-putin/2019/10/17/fdbde8d2-f0f2-11e9-8693-f487e46784aa_story.html | access-date=November 12, 2019}}

Ynet, an Israeli online news site, reported on January 12, 2017, that U.S. intelligence had advised Israeli intelligence officers to be cautious about sharing information with the incoming Trump administration, until the possibility of Russian influence over Trump, suggested by Steele's report, has been fully investigated.{{cite news |first=Ronen |last=Bergman |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4906642,00.html |title=US intel sources warn Israel against sharing secrets with Trump administration |newspaper=Ynetnews |date=January 12, 2017 | access-date=April 1, 2018}}

Ex-spy Yuri Shvets, who was a partner of the assassinated Alexander Litvinenko, believes that the KGB cultivated Trump as an asset for over 40 years.{{cite web|last=staff|first=T. O. I.|title=KGB groomed Trump as an asset for 40 years, former Russian spy says|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/kgb-groomed-trump-as-an-asset-for-40-years-former-spy-says/|access-date=2021-04-01|website=timesofisrael.com|date=January 29, 2021 |language=en-US}} Yuri Shvets, a source for journalist Craig Unger, compared the former president to the Cambridge Five who passed secrets to Moscow. Shvets believes that Semyon Kislin was a "spotter agent" who identified Trump as an asset in 1980. Among other things Shvets highlights Trump's visit to the Soviet Union in 1987.{{cite web|date=2021-01-29|title='The perfect target': Russia cultivated Trump as asset for 40 years – ex-KGB spy|url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/29/trump-russia-asset-claims-former-kgb-spy-new-book|access-date=2021-04-01|website=The Guardian|language=en}} Yuri Shvets believes Trump was fed KGB talking points. For example, after Trump's return to New York, Trump took out full-page ads in major newspapers criticizing American allies and spending on NATO. Yuri Shvets claims that at the chief KGB directorate in Yasenevo, he received a cable celebrating the ad as a successful "active measure". Shvets described the Mueller Report as a "big disappointment" because it focused only on "crime-related issues" rather than "counterintelligence aspects".

Journalist Luke Harding argued that Trump's visit to the Soviet Union in 1987 was arranged by the KGB as part of KGB overtures to recruit a wider variety of agents.{{cite web|last=Harding|first=Luke|title=The Hidden History of Trump's First Trip to Moscow|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/11/19/trump-first-moscow-trip-215842|access-date=2021-04-01|website=Politico Magazine|date=November 19, 2017 |language=en}}

{{see also|Russia investigation origins conspiracy theory}}

Trump and his defenders have used terms like "Russia hoax",{{cite web | title=11 times President Trump has called the Russia probes a 'hoax' | website=ABC News | date=October 30, 2017 | url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/11-times-president-trump-called-russia-probe-hoax/story?id=50809892 | access-date=May 16, 2025}} "Russian collusion hoax", and "Russiagate hoax"{{cite web | last=DiResta | first=Renee | last2=Jurecic | first2=Quinta | title=The Rise and Fall of America's Response to Foreign Election Meddling | website=Lawfare | date=February 20, 2025 | url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-rise-and-fall-of-america-s-response-to-foreign-election-meddling | access-date=April 18, 2025 | page=}} to delegitimize accusations and investigations of alleged impropriety, cooperation, collusion, or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the government, officials, and intelligence agencies of Russia. They assert that such accusations are a hoax perpetrated against Trump by Hillary Clinton{{cite web | last=Swenson | first=Ali | title=Intel in letter is unverified, doesn't show Clinton planned 'Russia hoax' | website=Associated Press | date=September 30, 2020 | url=https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-9458967050 | access-date=May 9, 2025}} and that he is the victim of a witch hunt{{cite web | last=Young | first=Cathy | title=No, 'Russiagate' Wasn't the Hoax That Team Trump Claims It Was | website=Cato Institute | date=October 25, 2022 | url=https://www.cato.org/commentary/no-russiagate-wasnt-hoax-team-trump-claims-it-was | access-date=April 8, 2025}} and a "conspiracy theory … invented, funded, and spread by President Trump's political rivals".{{cite web | last=Bump | first=Philip | title=A new lens into the ongoing folly of Republican 'Russia hoax' rhetoric | website=The Washington Post | date=February 21, 2024 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/21/smirnov-russia-republicans-bidens-fbi/ | access-date=May 1, 2025}}

PolitiFact named Trump's claim the "2017 Lie of the Year", and the "hoax" accusation and its associated conspiracy theories have been debunked by numerous sources{{refn|group="Note"|name="Hoax"|"Hoax"{{cite web | last=Holan | first=Angie Drobnic | title=2017 Lie of the Year: Russian election action is a hoax | website=PolitiFact | date=December 12, 2017 | url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2017/dec/12/2017-lie-year-russian-election-interference-made-s/ | access-date=May 16, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Rucker | first=Philip | title=Trump's Russia 'hoax' turns out to be real | website=The Washington Post | date=February 16, 2018 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-russia-hoax-turns-out-to-be-real/2018/02/16/be3d174a-1346-11e8-9065-e55346f6de81_story.html | access-date=May 16, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Serwer | first=Adam | title=The 'Russia Hoax' Is a Hoax | website=The Atlantic | date=December 10, 2019 | url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/12/there-was-never-deep-state-conspiracy-get-trump/603361/ | access-date=May 15, 2025}}{{cite web | last=French | first=David | title=Republicans Must Reject 'Russia Hoax' Conspiracies and Examine the Evidence | website=National Review | date=December 10, 2018 | url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/12/republicans-must-reject-russia-hoax-conspiracies-and-examine-the-evidence/ | access-date=May 15, 2025}}{{cite web | last1=Yen | first1=Hope | last2=Woodward | first2=Calvin | last3=Tucker | first3=Eric | title=AP fact check: Trump's exaggerations about the Russia probe | website=PBS News | date=April 1, 2019 | url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-fact-check-trumps-exaggerations-about-the-russia-probe | access-date=May 9, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Kruzel | first=John | title=Fact-checking Fox News analyst's pro-Trump 'The Russia Hoax' | website=Politifact | date=June 21, 2017 | url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2018/aug/02/fact-checking-fox-news-analysts-pro-trump-book-rus/ | access-date=May 3, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Remnick | first=David | title=Mueller's Indictment Ends Trump's Myth of the Russia "Hoax" | website=The New Yorker | date=February 17, 2018 | url=https://www.newyorker.com/sections/news/muellers-indictments-end-trumps-myth-of-the-russia-hoax | access-date=May 11, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Friedman | first=Dan | title=The "Russia Hoax" narrative just took a big blow | website=Mother Jones | date=May 31, 2022 | url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/05/trumps-russia-hoax-narrative-just-took-a-big-blow/ | access-date=May 16, 2025}}{{cite web | title=Disinfo: Firm behind global IT outage was part of the Russiagate hoax | website=EUvsDisinfo | date=July 19, 2024 | url=https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/firm-behind-global-it-outage-was-part-of-the-russiagate-hoax/ | access-date=May 11, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Spencer | first=Saranac Hale | title=Partisan Claims of 'Russia Hoax' Revived Ahead of 2020 Election | website=FactCheck.org | date=October 9, 2020 | url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/10/partisan-claims-of-russia-hoax-revived-ahead-of-2020-election/ | access-date=April 8, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Dilanian | first=Ken | title=FBI agent who helped launch Russia probe says Trump was 'compromised' | website=NBC News | date=September 7, 2020 | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fbi-agent-who-helped-launch-russia-investigation-says-trump-was-n1239442 | access-date=April 8, 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200907150538/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fbi-agent-who-helped-launch-russia-investigation-says-trump-was-n1239442 | archive-date=September 7, 2020 | url-status=live}}{{cite web | last=Woodward | first=Calvin | title=AP Fact Check: Trump lashes out on Russia probe after Friday's indictment | website=PBS News | date=February 19, 2018 | url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-fact-check-following-mueller-indictments-friday-trump-lashes-out-on-russia-probe | access-date=April 10, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Watkins | first=Eli | title=White House officials explain Trump's 'Russian hoax' line | website=CNN | date=August 5, 2018 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/05/politics/white-house-trump-russia/index.html | access-date=April 8, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Benen | first=Steve | title=GOP uses Durham report to pretend the Russia scandal wasn't real | website=MSNBC | date=May 17, 2023 | url=https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/gop-uses-durham-report-pretend-russia-scandal-wasnt-real-rcna84903 | access-date=April 8, 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518073235/https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/gop-uses-durham-report-pretend-russia-scandal-wasnt-real-rcna84903 | archive-date=May 18, 2023 | url-status=live}}{{cite web | last=Corn | first=David | title=Trump picks Rubio and Stefanik once confirmed Putin attacked the 2016 election to help Trump | website=Mother Jones | date=November 14, 2024 | url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/11/trump-cabinet-picks-marco-rubio-elise-stefanik-once-confirmed-putin-attacked-the-2016-election-to-help-trump/ | access-date=April 8, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Nichols | first=Tom | title=Ed Martin Has Completely Disqualified Himself | website=The Atlantic | date=April 17, 2025 | url=https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/04/ed-martin-russian-tv-trump/682488/ | access-date=April 17, 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250417161303/https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/04/ed-martin-russian-tv-trump/682488/ | archive-date=April 17, 2025 | url-status=live}}{{cite web | last=Graham | first=David A. | title=The Russia Hoax Is Still Not a Hoax | website=The Atlantic | date=October 11, 2024 | url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/10/trump-dictators-putin-health-bob-woodward/680224/ | access-date=April 8, 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241013140736/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/10/trump-dictators-putin-health-bob-woodward/680224/ | archive-date=October 13, 2024 | url-status=live}}{{Cite magazine | last=Frum | first=David | author-link=David Frum | date=November 25, 2021 | title=It Wasn't a Hoax | url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/11/trump-russia-senate-intelligence-report/620815/ | access-date=December 11, 2021 | magazine=The Atlantic | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125123634/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/11/trump-russia-senate-intelligence-report/620815/ | archive-date=November 25, 2021 | url-status=live}}{{cite web | last=Bump | first=Philip | title=Trump presented his Russia hoax theory to a court. It went poorly. | website=The Washington Post | date=September 9, 2022 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/09/trump-2016-russia-clinton/ | access-date=April 8, 2025}}}} and are contradicted by investigative findings of what "the president, members of his campaign and his associates actually did".{{cite web | last=Wittes | first=Benjamin | author-link=Benjamin Wittes | title=A Collusion Reading Diary: What Did the Senate Intelligence Committee Find? | website=Lawfare | date=August 21, 2020 | url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/collusion-reading-diary-what-did-senate-intelligence-committee-find | access-date=October 17, 2023}}

The Steele dossier alleged that there was a well-developed "conspiracy" of "cooperation" between the Trump campaign and Russian leadership designed to benefit Trump.{{cite news |last1=Bensinger |first1=Ken |last2=Elder |first2=Miriam |last3=Schoofs |first3=Mark |title=These Reports Allege Trump Has Deep Ties To Russia |work=BuzzFeed News |date=January 10, 2017 |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kenbensinger/these-reports-allege-trump-has-deep-ties-to-russia |access-date=December 24, 2017}}{{cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |title=Analysis – The 'dossier' and the uranium deal: A guide to the latest allegations |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 29, 2017 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/10/29/the-dossier-and-the-uranium-deal-a-guide-to-the-latest-allegations/ |access-date=October 27, 2021}} While a formal criminal "conspiracy" has not been corroborated, the Democratic members of the Senate Intelligence Committee did find the alleged "cooperation".

The two main government investigations are the Mueller report and the Senate Intelligence Committee report. Unlike the Mueller report, which was limited "to a review of criminal activity", the Committee went much deeper by including "counterintelligence questions in its investigative remit". The Committee apparently decided "to draw no conclusions, merely to recount facts". It thus did not "explicitly state" that there was "no collusion".

Some of the Republicans wrote in an appendix:

{{blockquote| Volume 5 is an important contribution to the historical record from which historians will someday draw. As is evident to those who read all five volumes of the Committee's report, the Russian government inappropriately meddled in our 2016 general election in many ways but then-Candidate Trump was not complicit. After more than three years of investigation by this Committee, we can now say with no doubt, there was no collusion.{{cite book | title=Report ... on Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election | date=August 18, 2020 | volume=5: Counterintelligence Threats and Vulnerabilities | publisher=Senate Intelligence Committee | url=https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/report_volume5.pdf | access-date=December 27, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122003727/https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/report_volume5.pdf | archive-date=January 22, 2021 | url-status=live}}{{rp|942}} (Emphasis in original)}}

Democratic members wrote separately that they found "cooperation":

{{blockquote| The Committee's bipartisan Report unambiguously shows that members of the Trump Campaign cooperated with Russian efforts to get Trump elected. It recounts efforts by Trump and his team to obtain dirt on their opponent from operatives acting on behalf of the Russian government. It reveals the extraordinary lengths by which Trump and his associates actively sought to enable the Russian interference operation by amplifying its electoral impact and rewarding its perpetrators - even after being warned of its Russian origins. And it presents, for the first time, concerning evidence that the head of the Trump Campaign was directly connected to the Russian meddling through his communications with an individual found to be a Russian intelligence officer.{{rp|943}}{{cite web | last1=Barnes | first1=Julian E. | last2=Savage | first2=Charlie | title=What We Learned From Report on 2016 Trump Campaign and Russian Interference | website=The New York Times | date=August 18, 2020 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/18/us/politics/trump-russia-senate.html | access-date=August 5, 2024}}

It is our conclusion, based on the facts detailed in the Committee's Report, that the Russian intelligence services' assault on the integrity of the 2016 U.S. electoral process[,] and Trump and his associates' participation in and enabling of this Russian activity, represents one of the single most grave counterintelligence threats to American national security in the modern era.{{rp|948}}}}

In an interview on February 14, 2018, Pence said, "Irrespective of efforts that were made in 2016 by foreign powers, it is the universal conclusion of our intelligence communities that none of those efforts had any impact on the outcome of the 2016 election." (In fact, in January 2017 the intelligence community had published a statement saying, "We did not make an assessment of the impact that Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election.") Pence added, "It doesn't mean that there weren't efforts, and we do know there were—there were efforts by Russia and likely by other countries. We take that very seriously."{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/mike-pence-no-evidence-foreign-meddling-efforts-had-any-impact-on-2016-election-outcome|title=Mike Pence: No evidence foreign meddling efforts 'had any impact' on 2016 election outcome|date=February 14, 2018|work=Washington Examiner|access-date=July 21, 2018|language=en}}

{{see also|Mueller report#False "no collusion" claims}}

File:John Brennan 2018.jpg

On May 23, 2017, former CIA Director John Brennan expressed his alarm about collusion between the Russians and Trump campaign:

{{blockquote|Brennan did not say there was no evidence of collusion. He made clear he had been alarmed by the extent of contacts between the Trump team and Moscow....Brennan stressed repeatedly that collusion may have been unwitting, at least at first as Russian intelligence was deft at disguising its approaches to would-be agents. 'Frequently, individuals on a treasonous path do not even realize they're on that path until it gets to be too late', he said.{{cite news | last=Borger | first=Julian | author-link=Julian Borger | title=Ex-CIA chief: Trump staff had enough contact with Russia to justify FBI inquiry | newspaper=The Guardian | date=May 23, 2017 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/23/ex-cia-chief-john-brennan-concerns-russian-ties-trump-team | access-date=April 25, 2018}}}}

On August 16, 2018, Brennan stated that Trump's claims of "no collusion" with Russia were "hogwash":

{{blockquote| The only questions that remain are whether the collusion that took place constituted criminally liable conspiracy, whether obstruction of justice occurred to cover up any collusion or conspiracy, and how many members of 'Trump Incorporated' attempted to defraud the government by laundering and concealing the movement of money into their pockets.{{cite news | last=Brennan | first=John O. | title=Opinion – John Brennan: President Trump's Claims of No Collusion Are Hogwash | newspaper=The New York Times | date=August 16, 2018 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/opinion/john-brennan-trump-russia-collusion-security-clearance.html | access-date=August 18, 2018}}}}

The CIA assessment, and Trump's dismissal of it, created an unprecedented rupture between the president-elect and the intelligence community.{{cite news|last=Harris|first=Shane|title=Donald Trump Fuels Rift With CIA Over Russian Hack|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-blames-democrats-for-reports-of-russia-hacking-1481467907|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=December 11, 2016|access-date=December 12, 2016}}{{cite news|first1=Brian|last1=Ross|author2=James Gordon Meek|first3=Mike|last3=Levine|first4=Justin|last4=Fishel|title=Trump Engages CIA in War of Words Over Russian Election Hacking|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/trump-war-words-intelligence-officials-amid-disagreement-russian/story?id=44131322|work=ABC News|date=December 12, 2016|access-date=December 13, 2016}}{{cite news|last=Cassidy|first=John|author-link=John Cassidy (journalist)|title=Trump Isolates Himself With C.I.A. Attack|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/trump-isolates-himself-with-c-i-a-attack|magazine=The New Yorker|date=December 12, 2016|access-date=December 13, 2016}} On December 11, 2016, U.S. intelligence officials responded to Trump's denunciation of their findings in a written statement, and expressed dismay that Trump disputed their conclusions as politically motivated or inaccurate. They wrote that intelligence officials were motivated to defend U.S. national security. Members of the intelligence community feared reprisals from Donald Trump once he took office.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/11/intelligence-agencies-cia-donald-trump-russia|work=The Guardian|title=Intelligence figures fear Trump reprisals over assessment of Russia election role|first=Spencer|last=Ackerman|author-link=Spencer Ackerman|date=December 11, 2016|access-date=December 11, 2016}}

Former CIA Director Michael Morell said foreign interference in U.S. elections was an existential threat.{{cite news |title=Morell calls Russia's meddling in U.S. elections 'political equivalent of 9/11'|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/michael-morell-russia-us-elections-232495|newspaper=Politico|date=December 13, 2016}} Former CIA spokesman George E. Little condemned Trump for dismissing the CIA assessment, saying the president-elect's atypical response was disgraceful and denigrated the courage of those who serve in the CIA at risk to their own lives.Rebecca Savransky, [https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/309912-former-cia-spokesman-trump-disrespect-for-cia-intelligence-community/ "Former CIA spokesman: Trump's disrespect for intelligence community is 'shameful'"], The Hill (December 12, 2016).

Former NSA director and CIA director Michael V. Hayden posited that Trump's antagonizing the Intelligence Community signaled the administration would rely less on intelligence for policy-making.Michael V. Hayden, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-already-antagonizing-the-intelligence-community-and-thats-a-problem/2016/12/12/9576a0ca-c0ad-11e6-897f-918837dae0ae_story.html "Trump is already antagonizing the intelligence community, and that's a problem"], The Washington Post (December 12, 2016). Independent presidential candidate and former CIA intelligence officer Evan McMullin criticized the Republican leadership for failing to respond adequately to Russia's meddling in the election process.{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/evan-mcmullin-gop-russia-hacking-232625|title=McMullin: GOP ignored Russian meddling in presidential election|work=Politico|date=December 14, 2016|first=Louis|last=Nelson|access-date=December 15, 2016}} McMullin said Republican politicians were aware that publicly revealed information about Russia's interference was likely the tip of the iceberg relative to the actual threat. Former NSA director Michael V. Hayden has stated that Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election is the "most successful covert influence operation in history".{{cite web|last=Munslow|first=Julia|title=Ex-CIA Director Hayden: Russia election meddling was 'most successful covert operation in history'|publisher=Yahoo! News|date=July 21, 2017|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/ex-cia-director-hayden-russia-election-meddling-successful-covert-operation-history-212056443.html|access-date=July 26, 2017}} Hayden went further saying that Trump was a "useful fool{{nbsp}}... manipulated by Moscow".{{Cite news |author-link=Michael Hayden (general)|first=Michael|last=Hayden |title=Former CIA chief: Trump is Russia's useful fool |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/former-cia-chief-trump-is-russias-useful-fool/2016/11/03/cda42ffe-a1d5-11e6-8d63-3e0a660f1f04_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 3, 2016 |access-date=July 19, 2017}}

A January 2017 report by the Director of National Intelligence said that the intelligence community did "not make an assessment of the impact that Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election". Despite this, CIA Director Mike Pompeo claimed that "the Russian meddling that took place did not affect the outcome of the election" at an event hosted by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies on October 19, 2017. CIA agency spokesman Dean Boyd withdrew his remarks the next day saying they had been made in error.

Retired general H. R. McMaster, who was Trump's national security adviser, "after he was asked whether he agreed that the president posed the greatest threat to U.S. election integrity", said that "Donald Trump is 'aiding and abetting' Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts to sow doubt about the American electoral system."{{cite web | last=Forgey | first=Quint | title=Trump's ex-national security adviser says president is 'aiding and abetting' Putin | website=Politico | date=October 1, 2020 | url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/01/former-national-security-adviser-trump-putin-424458 | access-date=August 27, 2024}}

On December 10, 2016, ten electors, headed by Christine Pelosi, daughter of former United States Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), wrote an open letter to the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper demanding an intelligence briefing on investigations into foreign intervention in the presidential election.{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/electors-intelligence-briefing-trump-russia-232498 |title=Electors demand intelligence briefing before Electoral College vote |last=Cheney |first=Kyle |date=December 12, 2016|newspaper=Politico}}{{cite news |url=https://extranewsfeed.com/bipartisan-electors-ask-james-clapper-release-facts-on-outside-interference-in-u-s-election-c1a3d11d5b7b|title=Bipartisan Electors Ask James Clapper: Release Facts on Outside Interference in U.S. Election |last=Pelosi |first=Christine}} Fifty-eight additional electors subsequently added their names to the letter, bringing the total to 68 electors from 17 different states.Pete Williams, [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coming-soon-real-presidential-election-n696556 "Coming Soon: The 'Real' Presidential Election"], NBC News (December 15, 2016). The Clinton campaign supported the call for a classified briefing for electors.* Gabriel Debenedetti & Kyle Cheney, [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/clinton-campaign-backs-call-for-intelligence-briefing-before-electoral-college-vote-232512 "Clinton campaign backs call for intelligence briefing before Electoral College vote"], Politico (December 12, 2016).

• Dan Merica, [http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/12/politics/hillary-clinton-electoral-college-electors/ "Clinton campaign backs intelligence briefing for Electoral College electors"], CNN (December 13, 2016). On December 16, 2016, the briefing request was denied.{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/news/310820-electors-wont-get-intelligence-briefing-report/ |title=Electors won't get intelligence briefing: report |work=The Hill |date=December 16, 2016 |access-date=February 12, 2017}}

{{further|Russia investigation origins conspiracy theory}}

File:Сергей Лавров (18-11-2022) (cropped).jpg called American accusations "nonsense".]]

The Russian government initially issued categorical denials of any involvement in the U.S. presidential election.Andrew Higgins, [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/world/europe/vladimir-putin-donald-trump-hacking.html Putin Hints at U.S. Election Meddling by 'Patriotically Minded' Russians], The New York Times (June 1, 2017). By June 2016, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any connection of Russian government to the DNC hacks that had been blamed on Russia.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-hack-russia-idUSKCN0Z02EK |title=Moscow denies Russian involvement in U.S. DNC hacking |work=Reuters |date=June 14, 2016}}{{cite news |author1=Sanger, E. |author-link=David E. Sanger |first2=Rick |last2=Corasaniti | location = New York City | title =D.N.C. Says Russian Hackers Penetrated Its Files, Including Dossier on Donald Trump | newspaper =The New York Times | date =June 14, 2016 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/15/us/politics/russian-hackers-dnc-trump.html | access-date =July 24, 2016}} At the Valdai Discussion Club forum in October 2016, Putin denounced American "hysteria" over alleged Russian interference.{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-27/putin-says-u-s-isn-t-banana-republic-should-get-over-itself |title=Putin Says U.S. Isn't Banana Republic, Must Get Over Itself |publisher=Bloomberg News |first1=Anton |last1=Doroshev |first2=Ilya |last2=Arkhipov |date=October 27, 2016 |access-date= February 2, 2017}}

When a new intelligence report surfaced in December 2016, Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia, rejected the accusations again.{{cite news |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-12-15/russian-officials-deny-vladimir-putins-involvement-in-election-hacking |date=December 15, 2016 |title=Kremlin Denies Putin's Involvement in Election Hacking |work=U.S. News & World Report |first=Curt |last=Mills |access-date=December 16, 2016}} During a press conference, Putin deflected questions on the issue by accusing the U.S. Democratic Party of scapegoating Russia after losing the presidential election.Multiple sources:

• {{cite news |last1=Filipov|first1=David|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/trump-syria-hacking-and-terrorism-in-play-as-russias-putin-meets-the-press/2016/12/23/28ead25a-c878-11e6-acda-59924caa2450_story.html|title=Putin to Democratic Party: You lost, get over it|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 23, 2016|access-date=December 26, 2016}}
• {{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-15/russia-rejects-as-rubbish-claims-putin-directed-u-s-hacking|publisher=Bloomberg News |date=December 15, 2016 |title=Russia Rejects as 'Rubbish' Claims Putin Directed U.S. Hacking |first1=Henry |last1=Meyer |first2=Stepan |last2=Kravchenko |access-date=December 16, 2016}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-hack-us-election-trump-2016-12|website=Business Insider|date=December 16, 2016 |title=Russia responds to reports it hacked US election: Prove it |first=Allan |last=Smith |access-date=December 16, 2016}}

In June 2017, Putin said that "patriotically minded" Russian hackers could have been responsible for the cyberattacks against the U.S. during the 2016 campaign, while continuing to deny government involvement. Putin's comments echoed similar remarks that he had made earlier the same week to the French newspaper Le Figaro. A few days later he said, "Presidents come and go, and even the parties in power change, but the main political direction does not change. That's why, in the grand scheme of things, we don't care who's the head of the United States. We know more or less what is going to happen. And so in this regard, even if we wanted to, it wouldn't make sense for us to interfere.""[https://www.yahoo.com/tv/megyn-kelly-drills-vladimir-putin-presidential-election-hack-003528480.html Megyn Kelly Drills Vladimir Putin on Presidential Election Hack, Russia's Ties With Trump (Video)]". Yahoo News. June 5, 2017. Putin also invoked whataboutism and criticized U.S. foreign policy, saying, "Put your finger anywhere on a map of the world, and everywhere you will hear complaints that American officials are interfering in internal electoral processes."

In March 2018 Putin suggested that "Ukrainians, Tatars, Jews, just with Russian citizenship" might have been to blame for interfering with U.S. elections, and suggested that "maybe it was the Americans who paid them for this work".Alexander Smith, [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/putin-u-s-election-interference-i-couldn-t-care-less-n855151 Putin on U.S. election interference: 'I couldn't care less'], NBC News (March 10, 2018).[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/10/putin-says-jews-russian-citizenship-could-behind-u-s-election-meddling/413321002/ Putin says Jews, Ukrainians, Tatars could be behind U.S. election meddling], Associated Press (March 10, 2018). Putin's statement was criticized by the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee; both likened his comments to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an antisemitic hoax first published in Russia in the early 20th century.Alana Abramson, [https://time.com/5194830/vladimir-putin-jews-tatars-ukrainians-u-s-election-interference/ Putin Criticized for Remarks Insinuating Jews and Other Minority Groups Could Be Behind U.S. Election Interference], Time (March 11, 2018).Avi Selk, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/03/11/putin-condemned-for-saying-jews-may-have-manipulated-u-s-election/ Putin condemned for saying Jews may have manipulated U.S. election], The Washington Post (March 11, 2018). Boruch Gorin, a prominent rabbi in Moscow, said that the translation of Putin's comment into English lacked critical nuance and that Russian Jews were largely indifferent to it.{{cite news |title=Why some Jews in Russia don't think Putin's comment about them was anti-Semitic |url=https://www.jta.org/2018/03/12/global/why-some-jews-in-russia-dont-think-putins-comment-about-them-was-anti-semitic |publisher=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=March 12, 2018}}

In a 2023 4-part series in the Columbia Journalism Review, Jeff Gerth, Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter, reassessed the role of the press in reporting on Trump's role in the Russian interference and said the coverage "includes serious flaws."Multiple sources:

• {{cite web | last=Gerth | first=Jeff | title=The press versus the president, part one | website=Columbia Journalism Review | date=January 30, 2023 | url=https://www.cjr.org/special_report/trumped-up-press-versus-president-part-1.php/ | access-date=February 8, 2023}}
• {{cite web | last=Gerth | first=Jeff | title=The press versus the president, part two | website=Columbia Journalism Review | date=January 30, 2023 | url=https://www.cjr.org/special_report/trumped-up-press-versus-president-part-2.php/ | access-date=February 8, 2023}}
• {{cite web | last=Gerth | first=Jeff | title=The press versus the president, part three | website=Columbia Journalism Review | date=January 30, 2023 | url=https://www.cjr.org/special_report/trumped-up-press-versus-president-part-3.php/ | access-date=February 8, 2023}}
• {{cite web | last=Gerth | first=Jeff | title=The press versus the president, part four | website=Columbia Journalism Review | date=January 30, 2023 | url=https://www.cjr.org/special_report/trumped-up-press-versus-president-part-4.php/ | access-date=February 8, 2023

| quote=My main conclusion is that journalism’s primary missions, informing the public and holding powerful interests accountable, have been undermined by the erosion of journalistic norms and the media’s own lack of transparency about its work.}} Multiple mainstream sources pushed back against Gerth's assertions, among them David Corn:

{{blockquote| Gerth "missed the point" and bolstered "Trump's phony narrative...Ultimately Gerth does a disservice by failing to cast Russiagate accurately. Putin's attack succeeded, with help from Trump and his crew. That has always been the big story."{{cite web |last=Corn |first=David |date=February 2, 2023 |title=Columbia Journalism Review's Big Fail: It Published 24,000 Words on Russiagate and Missed the Point |website=Mother Jones |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/02/columbia-journalism-review-jeff-gerth-trump-russia-the-media/ |access-date=February 8, 2023}}}}

Others who criticized Gerth were Joe Conason,{{cite web | last=Conason | first=Joe | title=The Reporter Who Hyped Whitewater Now Backs Trump On 'Russiagate' | website=The National Memo | date=February 4, 2023 | url=https://www.nationalmemo.com/whitewater | access-date=February 10, 2023 | quote=His former colleagues are said to be seething with fury at him...because Gerth has betrayed basic journalistic standards....Gerth is perpetuating the coverup....[Trump] helped an adversary sabotage an American election.}} Jonathan Chait,{{cite web | last=Chait | first=Jonathan | title=Columbia Journalism Review Had a Different Russiagate Story - and Spiked It | website=New York | date=February 9, 2023 | url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/02/columbia-journalism-review-spiked-different-russiagate-story.html | access-date=February 10, 2023 | quote=This is a triumph of spin.... Yes, some of the reporting, as you would expect of a sprawling investigation, was wrong. And some expectations of where the scandal would go from opinion journalists were wrong, too...Still, the investigation produced extensive evidence of misconduct....In the main, the broad suspicion of the investigation — that Trump’s pattern of oddly Russophilic statements might be explained by some hidden partnership — proved to be correct.}} Rachel Maddow,{{cite web | last=Maddow | first=Rachel | title=Friday's Mini-Report, 2.3.23 | website=MSNBC | date=February 3, 2023 | url=https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/fridays-mini-report-2323-rcna69097 | access-date=February 10, 2023 | quote=I wish I knew why the Columbia Journalism Review published such an unfortunate piece on such an important issue: “Misdirection, an essential tool for magicians, is not usually a component of media criticism. But in a lengthy critique of the coverage of the Trump-Russia scandal published this week by the Columbia Journalism Review, veteran investigative reporter Jeff Gerth deflects attention from the core components of Russiagate, mirroring Donald Trump's own efforts of the past six years to escape accountability for his profound betrayal of the nation.}} Cathy Young,{{cite web | last=Young | first=Cathy | title=Why 'Russiagate' Skeptics Are Cackling—But Shouldn't Be | website=The Bulwark | date=February 9, 2023 | url=https://www.thebulwark.com/why-russiagate-skeptics-are-cackling-but-shouldnt-be/ | access-date=February 10, 2023 | quote=As Corn puts it: 'With this confab, Team Trump signaled to Moscow that it was willing to accept Putin's covert assistance. It did not report to the FBI or anyone else that the Kremlin was aiming to intervene in the election. This may not have been collusion; it was complicity.'}} Dan Kennedy,{{cite web | last=Kennedy | first=Dan | title=The CJR's critique of 'Russia Russia Russia' coverage is all trees, no forest | website=Media Nation | date=February 9, 2023 | url=https://dankennedy.net/2023/02/09/the-cjrs-critique-of-russia-russia-russia-coverage-is-all-trees-no-forest/ | access-date=February 10, 2023 | quote=Gerth has shown that the press, and especially the Times, was not as careful as it should have been in reporting on Russia Russia Russia. And yes, details matter. But the notion that Trump was a victim of bad reporting with regard to Russia is just nonsense. In the end, Gerth has produced a report that's all trees, no forest.}} and Duncan Campbell.{{cite web | last=Campbell | first=Duncan | title=Who Watches the Watchdog? The CJR's Russia Problem | website=Byline Times | date=February 7, 2023 | url=https://bylinetimes.com/2023/02/07/who-watches-the-watchdog-the-cjrs-russia-problem/ | access-date=February 10, 2023}}

{{Portal|Russia|United States}}

• Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election
• Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (classified documents case)
• Foreign electoral intervention
• Russian involvement in regime change
• Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum
• Russian interference in the 2018 United States elections
• Russian interference in the 2020 United States elections
• Russian interference in the 2024 United States elections
• Russia–United States relations
• Social media in the 2016 United States presidential election
• Timelines related to Donald Trump and Russian interference in United States elections
• Vulkan files leak

{{reflist|group="Note"}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite web |publisher=War on the Rocks|url=http://warontherocks.com/2016/11/trolling-for-trump-how-russia-is-trying-to-destroy-our-democracy/|title=Trolling for Trump: How Russia is Trying to Destroy Our Democracy|first1=Andrew |last1=Weisburd |first2=Clint |last2=Watts |author2-link=Clint Watts|first3=J.M.|last3=Berger|author-link3=J.M. Berger |date=November 6, 2016}}
• {{cite book |title=The Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing|year=2016|first=Malcolm|last=Nance|author-link=Malcolm Nance|isbn=978-1-5107-2332-0|oclc=987592653|title-link=The Plot to Hack America}}
• {{cite book |year=2017|title=The Case for Impeachment|first=Allan J.|last=Lichtman|author-link=Allan J. Lichtman|publisher=Dey Street Books|isbn=978-0-06-269682-3|title-link=The Case for Impeachment}}
• {{cite book |title=Interference |publisher=Simon & Schuster | year=2024 | last1=Zebley | first1=Aaron | last2=Quarles | first2=James | last3=Goldstein | first3=Andrew | isbn=9781668063743}}
• Beauchamp, Zach; Zarracina, Javier; Mark, Ryan; Northrop, Amanda (December 1, 2017). [https://www.vox.com/world/2017/11/27/16670950/trump-russia-timeline A visual guide to the key events in the Trump-Russia scandal.] Vox.
• Miller, Greg; Jaffe, Greg; Rucker, Philip (December 14, 2017). [https://web.archive.org/web/20171224200149/https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/world/national-security/donald-trump-pursues-vladimir-putin-russian-election-hacking/ "Doubting the intelligence, Trump pursues Putin and leaves a Russian threat unchecked"]. The Washington Post.
• Entous, Adam; Nakashima, Ellen; Jaffe, Greg (December 26, 2017). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/kremlin-trolls-burned-across-the-internet-as-washington-debated-options/2017/12/23/e7b9dc92-e403-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html "Kremlin trolls burned across the Internet as Washington debated options"]. The Washington Post.
• Frank, Thomas (January 12, 2018). [https://www.buzzfeed.com/thomasfrank/secret-money-how-trump-made-millions-selling-condos-to "Secret Money: How Trump Made Millions Selling Condos To Unknown Buyers"]. BuzzFeed News.

{{sister project links|d=Q28005470|c=Category:Russian interference in 2016 United States elections|s=Comey Statement for the Record Senate Select Committee on Intelligence|q=Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|n=Category:Russian involvement in the 2016 US presidential election|b=no|v=no|voy=no|wikt=no|species=no|m=no|mw=no}}

• [https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1035562/download U.S. Department of Justice federal indictment against 13 Russian individuals and three Russian entities], February 16, 2016
• [https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/10/07/joint-statement-department-homeland-security-and-office-director-national Joint Statement from the Department Of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security], October 7, 2016
• [http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/press-releases/mccain-graham-schumer-reed-joint-statement-on-reports-that-russia-interfered-with-the-2016-election McCain, Graham, Schumer, Reed Joint Statement on Reports That Russia Interfered with the 2016 Election], December 11, 2016
• [https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/os-jcomey-060817.pdf James Comey's opening statement preceding the June 8, 2017 Senate Intelligence Committee hearing]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20180322215248/https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/russia_report_findings_and_recommendations.pdf House Intelligence Committee Report Findings and Recommendations]
• [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/donald-trumps-jrs-email-exchange/533244/ Chronological Listing of Donald Trump Jr.'s Email Exchange With Rob Goldstone]
• [https://investigaterussia.org/ Committee to Investigate Russia]
• [https://www.justice.gov/file/1080281/download Indictment] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903091842/https://www.justice.gov/file/1080281/download |date=September 3, 2018}}, July 13, 2018, indictment of 12 Russians for conspiracy, hacking, identity theft, and money laundering
• [https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IG/IG00/20180322/108023/HRPT-115-1_1-p1-U3.pdf House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Report on Russian Active Measures: Majority Report], March 22, 2018—Final Report of the Republican majority
• [https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IG/IG00/20180322/108023/HRPT-115-2.pdf House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Report on Russian Active Measures: Minority Views], March 26, 2018—a 98-page response by the Democratic minority
• [https://www.npr.org/2018/05/31/584353948/trump-stories-collusion Trump Stories: Collusion], NPR Embedded, February 8, 2018. Length: 1:06:31
• {{cite web|url=https://pressroom.warnermediagroup.com/us/media-release/hbo-0/agents-chaos/agents-chaos-timely-and-revealing-look-russias-interference-2016-election-ahead-2020|title=Agents of Chaos, A Timely And Revealing Look At Russia's Interference Into The 2016 Election, Ahead Of The 2020 Election, Debuts September 23|website=WarnerMedia|date=August 23, 2020|access-date=September 24, 2020}} See also Agents of Chaos, an HBO miniseries
• {{cite episode|title=Putin's Revenge|series=FRONTLINE|series-link=Frontline (American TV program)|network=PBS|station=WGBH|season=36|number=5|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/putins-revenge/|access-date=June 23, 2023}}
• {{cite web | title=David Frum On Why Trump-Russia Wasn't A Hoax | website=YouTube | publisher=MSNBC | date=March 6, 2024 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFi9epuLaYU&ab_channel=MSNBC | access-date=May 10, 2025}}

{{Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|state=expanded}}

{{Mueller special counsel investigation}}

{{United States presidential election, 2016}}

{{Hacking in the 2010s}}

{{Russia–United States relations}}

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