Security Expert Calls on Republicans to Take a Stand Against Russian DNC Email Hack

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 07:15 pm

In light of the FBI investigating the possible Russian hacking of DNC emails, a security expert called on both parties to support President Obama in standing up to Russia if the initial impressions are proved correct. So basically he is calling on Republicans to stand by President Obama and Democrats when it comes to matters of an outside actor trying to manipulate U.S. elections.

The FBI is investigating the hacked emails of the DNC, which were released on the eve of the Democratic National Convention. Officials say the hacking carries the fingerprints of Russian groups associated with Russian intelligence. If the investigation corroborates that Russia is behind the attack, the nation will need to take a firm stand against such interference in a U.S. election.

Chris Finan, CEO and Co-Founder of Manifold Security, a former Obama administration cybersecurity official, and a Truman National Security Project fellow wrote in Time that the nation should be unified in its outrage if Russia is indeed the perpetrator.

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Finan, perhaps overly optimistically given the Republican Party’s inability to even fund the Zika emergency without adding insane partisan riders, suggested that all Americans regardless of political affiliation, should find this egregious, “If the early evidence pointing to Russia as the perpetrator is corroborated, all Americans—regardless of political affiliation—should be outraged. It would mean the U.S. election was the target, and the nation should be unified in its response.”

Finan continued, saying that if Russia is indeed the perpetrator, “Both parties should support a firm response by the Obama administration.”

He added that if they can “attribute these actions with confidence”, “the administration should refer this matter to the U.N. Security Council, and if necessary, consider unilateral measures against Russia in response.”

In other words, Russian President Vladimir Putin should be made to pay for using hacking as a political weapon and interfering with a U.S. election. Putin should be warned that doing so has a harsh cost.

It makes sense that Putin would do this, specifically to Hillary Clinton, whose tough stances against his regime have displeased the Russian President in the past. In fact, Putin is reportedly holding a grudge because he blames Clinton for protests that broke out in 2011, after she accused Putin of having rigged elections.

If you picture Putin as a Russian Donald Trump but with more brains and more political knowledge, this all makes perfect sense.

Odds are not good that Republicans would stand up to Russian interference, since it is helping their pro-Putin candidate Donald Trump. But if this comes down the way it’s looking right now and Republicans once again take the cowardly way out and invite foreign interference in our elections, they will paint themselves as weak, cowardly traitors.

Aligning your party with Putin is pretty much everything Republicans have been accusing Democrats of since the late 50s. And here they are… Making sure to damage their brand even more than the racism, bigotry and misogyny of Donald Trump has already damaged it by using what look to be Russian hacked emails as a political tool against the Democratic Party.

Sarah Jones

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