Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has been asked to brief Electoral College electors on Russian involvement in the November 2016 presidential elections. (photo: Evan Vucci/AP)
13 December 16
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Russian election interference issue is heating up quickly. A lot of
very powerful Congressional leaders, both Democrats and Republicans, are
taking quite seriously the CIA’s findings that Russia deliberately
influenced the recently concluded U.S. presidential election.
Leaving aside for the moment serious concerns about
the CIA’s ability to be a fair broker of public information, in addition
to the U.S. government’s own record on effecting regime change, often
through unilateral military action, Russian involvement in the outcome
of the November 8th election is absolutely being treated as an urgent
matter at the highest echelons of American government, on both sides of
the political divide.
Based on the backgrounds of the senators involved, the
participation of NSA director James Clapper, and the statements being
made, it is clear this is a highly focused effort to move Russian
involvement in the elections to center stage – prior to Donald Trump’s
inauguration and perhaps before the Electoral College convenes on
December 19th.
A bipartisan group of 10 Electoral College electors have authored an open letter
to James Clapper requesting a briefing on Russian involvement. The
letter is extraordinary in its detail, attention to fact, and readily
apparent alarm over the potential that a foreign actor played a hand in
determining the presidential election.
The letter contains a request for
a briefing on potential foreign involvement in the election. The letter
reads in part:
“The Electors require to know from the intelligence community whether there are ongoing investigations into ties between Donald Trump, his campaign or associates, and Russian government interference in the election, the scope of those investigations, how far those investigations may have reached, and who was involved in those investigations. We further require a briefing on all investigative findings, as these matters directly impact the core factors in our deliberations of whether Mr. Trump is fit to serve as President of the United States.
“Additionally, the Electors will separately require from Donald Trump conclusive evidence that he and his staff and advisors did not accept Russian interference, or otherwise collaborate during the campaign, and conclusive disavowal and repudiation of such collaboration and interference going forward.”
Having published the letter publicly prior to the vote
that will determine the presidency puts the result of the Electoral
College vote in play; it can no longer be viewed as a foregone
conclusion. In less than 24 hours from the time the letter was published
the number of signers has nearly tripled from 11 to 29.
Many in Washington are very uneasy with Donald Trump’s
irreverent and unorthodox style. Nothing Trump has done in assembling
his cabinet has eased those concerns. To the contrary, Trump’s picks are
among the most deeply conflicted ever considered for positions within a
presidential administration. That, coupled with unprecedented
opposition to Mr. Trump by leaders of his own party, has set the stage
for a confrontation that now appears to be taking shape.
The situation is fluid and developing very quickly.
However, the trajectory of events could easily put Mr. Trump’s ascension
to the presidency in question.
All of this takes the country into uncharted waters. It would appear that is where we now are.
Marc Ash is the founder and former Executive Director of Truthout, and is now founder and Editor of Reader Supported News.
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