Trump Spy Chief Says Russia Hasn't Paid Price for 2016 Meddling
Source: Bloomberg Politics
The U.S. government hasn’t done enough to deter Russia from using cyber and information operations to interfere again in American democracy, according to the head of National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.
Steps so far, such as sanctions and indictments targeting Russians for tampering with the 2016 presidential campaign, haven’t “changed the calculus or the behavior” in Moscow, Admiral Michael Rogers told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday. “They haven’t paid a price at least that’s sufficient to get them to change their behavior,” he said, adding later that “we’re taking steps, but we’re probably not doing enough.”
The warning by Rogers, an Obama-era appointee who’s planning to retire within months, sparked concern by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. It echoed alarm voiced after Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats acknowledged at a hearing on Feb. 13 that “there’s no single agency in charge” of blocking potential Russian meddling in this year’s midterm elections. Primaries begin next month in Illinois and Texas.
Rogers, too, said he hasn’t received any direction or additional authority from the White House to take specific action against Russia for the meddling, which U.S. intelligence agencies have found was aimed at helping Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton for the presidency in 2016.
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