U.S. Rep. John Faso and Democratic challenger Antonio Delgado agree the indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers for hacking Democratic computer networks is a serious matter and not the result of what President Donald Trump routinely calls a “witch hunt.”
Faso, R-Kinderhook, said the indictment, made public last Friday, supports the belief that Russia is looking to hold sway over American voters.
“It confirms what we know, and it gave more detail that Russian officials from their intelligence services attempted to interfere with our elections [and] to sow discord among Americans,” Faso said in a telephone interview Sunday.
Delgado said in a phone interview Monday that the indictment demonstrates the “nature and the scale” of the Russian interference in U.S. elections and that he worries his campaign against Faso could be at risk.
“Absolutely it gives me concern,” the Rhinebeck Democrat said. “There was some testimony very recently from the heads of our intelligence agencies who made it clear that we are still under attack here [and they] have done nothing to protect the integrity of our election infrastructure.”
Delgado recently won a seven-way Democratic primary in New York’s 19th Congressional District and will run against Faso, a first-term congressman, in November.
Faso noted the indictment did not indicate there was any ballot tampering in the 2016 presidential election, but he said the actions alleged in the indictment “clearly [were] intended to spread a malicious type of discord among Americans. In that respect, unfortunately, I think to some extent they succeeded.”
The indictment alleged the Russian agents, largely working within the United States and in contact with unidentified Trump supporters in the U.S., hacked Democratic computer networks, created fake news stories and spread false information on social media to benefit Trump in the 2016 election and hurt Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
Delgado said what happened in 2016 shows how difficult it is keep watch over fake news.
“We’re certainly going to be diligent on our end and take all the measures we can to protect ourselves from this kind of vulnerability,” he said. “I can’t sit here and say what’s discernable or perceptible. This is the problem with the nature of these kinds of attacks. That’s why it’s imperative that we come together as a country and take this incredibly seriously because it’s a real threat.”
Said Faso: “Our government has to take strong measures to thwart and discourage meddling into our election. But I frankly don’t lose any sleep over things I have no ability to control. I have no ability to control what the Russians do or don’t do.”
Faso also said he understands the impatience being expressed by some people over how long the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller is talking.
“This is a fairly substantial investigation which had a narrow charge, and so I just hope it can be concluded shortly,” the congressman said.
Of Trump’s recent critical remarks at the NATO summit and during his visit to Great Britain, Delgado said the president’s priorities are misplaced.
“Rather than figuring out how we can protect ourselves against continuing attack from a hostile … foreign power, instead [Trump is] trashing our allies and blaming fellow Americans,” he said.
Faso, though, that Trump was “speaking truth” to America’s NATO allies.
