‘Steady drumbeat of misinformation’: FBI chief warns of Russian interference in US elections

Photograph: John McDonnell/EPA

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Thursday warned that Russia is interfering in the 2020 US presidential elections with a steady stream of misinformation aimed at undermining Democrat Joe Biden as well as sapping Americans’ confidence in the election process.

Moscow is also attempting to undercut what it sees as an anti-Russian US establishment, the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation told the Democratic-led House of Representatives’ homeland security committee in a hearing on Capitol Hill.

He said his biggest concern is a “steady drumbeat of misinformation” that he said he feared could undermine confidence in the result of the 2020 election.

Wray repeatedly addressed election meddling in his testimony to the House committee, saying the bureau is committed to blocking such interference efforts in this year’s elections.

He specifically said the bureau has witnessed “very active efforts by the Russians to influence our election in 2020”.

The FBI director said Russian agents were mainly trying to affect the election through “malign foreign influence”, such as social media, state media and the use of proxies.

Publish : 2020-09-18 01:32:42

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