In Letter to Committee Leadership, Shaheen Renews Call for Senate Hearing on Russian Interference in Recent Elections

**Shaheen: “These Russian actions are unprecedented in our post-Cold War relationship”**  

**The Foreign Relations Committee should hold a hearing to “collectively consider how best to respond to these unacceptable violations of our democracy”**

(Washington, DC) — This morning, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the lead Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security, renewed her call for a Senate hearing to examine the foreign policy implications of Russia’s interference in the November elections. In her letter to the leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent today, Shaheen drew attention to the U.S. Intelligence Community’s assessment that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of emails and independent analysis of Russian efforts to promote “fake news” on social media. Today’s letter follows a letter Senator Shaheen sent in September to Chairman Corker and Ranking Member Cardin calling for a hearing on Russian interference in the election.

Shaheen wrote, “These Russian actions are unprecedented in our post-Cold War relationship... The seriousness of Russia’s behavior and its relevance to the Foreign Relations Committee merit a full committee hearing on this issue, perhaps supplemented by a classified briefing. Such a hearing would benefit both the members of the committee and the constituents they represent as we collectively consider how best to respond to these unacceptable violations of our democracy.”

You can read Senator Shaheen’s signed letter here and the text in full below:

 

December 1, 2016

Senator Bob Corker

Chairman

Senate Foreign Relations Committee

423 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6225

Senator Ben Cardin

Ranking Member

Senate Foreign Relations Committee

509 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC, 20510

 

Chairman Corker and Ranking Member Cardin,

As Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe, I am writing to follow up on my September 13 letter which urged you to schedule a hearing as soon as possible to consider the foreign policy implications of Russia's interference in our national elections.

My previous letter highlighted the U.S. Intelligence Community’s investigation into allegations of Russian hacking.  As you know, on October 7, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security stated that “the U.S. Intelligence Community 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,” and that “these thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the U.S. election process.”  Recent independent analysis has also drawn attention to concerted Russian efforts to promote so-called “fake news” relevant to the Presidential race in the run up to the election.

These Russian actions are unprecedented in our post-Cold War relationship and have rightfully drawn bipartisan condemnation and prompted bipartisan calls for Congressional hearings.  The seriousness of Russia’s behavior and its relevance to the Foreign Relations Committee merit a full committee hearing on this issue, perhaps supplemented by a classified briefing.  Such a hearing would benefit both the members of the committee and the constituents they represent as we collectively consider how best to respond to these unacceptable violations of our democracy.

I greatly appreciate your timely attention to this serious issue.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jeanne Shaheen

United States Senator

 

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