Russia is set to continue its campaign of meddling in foreign elections by targeting the congressional midterm races in America, the head of the CIA has warned.
Mike Pompeo, the director of the agency, told the BBC he had not seen a “significant decrease” in Russian activity and his concerns extend to the House and Senate polls in November.
“I have every expectation that they will continue to try and do that but I’m confident that America will be able to have a free and fair election [and] that we will push back in a way that is sufficiently robust that the impact they have on our election won’t be great,” Pompeo said.
The CIA concluded that Moscow interfered in the 2016 presidential election – leaking hacked Democratic communications and flooding social media with misinformation – but Donald Trump has repeatedly dismissed special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation as a “hoax” and “witch hunt”. The White House has been accused of not taking the Russian threat seriously and failing to adopt counter-measures.
Yet Pompeo, who is among Trump allies interviewed by Mueller, has walked this political tightrope with some success. He is said to be one of the president’s favourite cabinet members and has helped the CIA avoid the same level of controversy as the FBI. Loyal and combative, he has been touted as a potential secretary of state should Rex Tillerson step down.
For more read the full of article at The Guardian
