2016 Democratic National Committee email leak

Disclosure of internal messages among the national Democratic Party leadership in the US February 2026 May 2020 2016 Democratic National Committee email leak July 22, 2016 (initial WikiLeaks publication) Washington, D.C. (DNC Headquarters) Democratic National Committee staff Debbie Wasserman Schultz WikiLeaks Key Disclosures: 19,252 internal emails and 8,034 attachments leaked. Correspondence showing DNC internal bias favoring Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. Core Catalyst: Spear-phishing operations by Russian military groups Fancy Bear and Cozy Bear to exfiltrate data and manipulate public discourse. thumb|ODNI declassified assessment of "Russian activities and intentions in recent U.S. elections"|link=File:ODNI_Statement_on_Declassified_Intelligence_Community_Assessment_of_Russian_Activities_and_Intentions_in_Recent_U.S._Elections.pdf|page=7 The 2016 Democratic National Committee email leak is a collection of Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails stolen by one or more hackers operating under the pseudonym "Guccifer 2.0" who are alleged to be Russian intelligence agency hackers, according to indictments carried out by the Mueller investigation. These emails were subsequently leaked by DCLeaks in June and July 2016Satter Raphael Donn Jeff Day Chad Inside Story: How Russians Hacked the Democrats' Emails: How did Russian hackers pry into Clinton campaign emails? Huge effort made quick work. https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2017-11-03/inside-story-how-russians-hacked-the-democrats-emails US News Associated Press November 4, 2017 November 28, 2017 and by WikiLeaks on July 22, 2016, just before the 2016 Democratic National Convention. This collection included 19,252 emails and 8,034 attachments from the DNC, the governing body of the United States Democratic Party.https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/07/22/on-eve-of-democratic-convention-wikileaks-releases-thousands-of-documents-about-clinton-the-campaign-and-internal-deliberations/ WikiLeaks releases thousands of documents about Clinton and internal deliberations Karen Tumulty Tom Hamburger The Washington Post July 22, 2016 The leak includes emails from seven key DNC staff members dating from January 2015 to May 2016. On November 6, 2016, WikiLeaks released a second batch of DNC emails, adding 8,263 emails to its collection.Uchill Joe https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/304648-wikileaks-releases-new-dnc-emails-suffers-cyberattack/ WikiLeaks releases new DNC emails day before election The Hill November 7, 2016 November 8, 2016 The emails and documents showed that the Democratic Party's national committee favored Hillary Clinton over her rival Bernie Sanders in the primaries.Matthew A. Baum Phil Gussin November 1, 2016 Why it's entirely predictable that Hillary Clinton's emails are back in the news The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/11/01/why-its-entirely-predictable-that-hillary-clintons-emails-are-back-in-the-news/ 12 November 2016 These releases caused significant harm to the Clinton campaign, and have been cited as a potential contributing factor to her loss in the general election against Donald Trump.23 December 2016 How Much Did WikiLeaks Hurt Hillary Clinton? en-US FiveThirtyEight Harry Enten https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/wikileaks-hillary-clinton/ https://web.archive.org/web/20161224134819/http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/wikileaks-hillary-clinton/ dead December 24, 2016 15 February 2018 The evidence suggests WikiLeaks is among the factors that might have contributed to her loss, but we really can't say much more than that. The leaks resulted in allegations of bias against Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign, in apparent contradiction with the DNC leadership's publicly stated neutrality, as several DNC operatives openly derided Sanders's campaign and discussed ways to advance Clinton's nomination. Later reveals included controversial DNC–Clinton agreements dated before the primary, regarding financial arrangements and control over policy and hiring decisions.https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/11/2/16599036/donna-brazile-hillary-clinton-sanders Donna Brazile's bombshell about the DNC and Hillary Clinton, explained Stein Jeff November 2, 2017 Vox June 10, 2019 The revelations prompted the resignation of DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz before the 2016 Democratic National Convention.Jonathan Martin Alan Rappeport https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/25/us/politics/debbie-wasserman-schultz-dnc-wikileaks-emails.html Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Resign D.N.C. Post The New York Times July 24, 2016 February 24, 2023 The DNC issued a formal apology to Bernie Sanders and his supporters "for the inexcusable remarks made over email" that did not reflect the DNC's "steadfast commitment to neutrality during the nominating process".Eric Beech https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-dnc-statement-idUSKCN1052BN Democratic National Committee apologizes to Sanders over emails Reuters July 25, 2016 February 24, 2023 After the convention, DNC CEO Amy Dacey, CFO Brad Marshall, and Communications Director Luis Miranda also resigned in the wake of the controversy.https://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/02/politics/dnc-ceo-resigns-in-wake-of-email-scandal/index.html Jeff Zeleny Tal Kopan DNC CEO resigns in wake of email controversy August 2, 2016 CNN August 3, 2016 On December 9, 2016, the CIA told U.S. legislators that the U.S. Intelligence Community concluded Russia conducted operations during the 2016 U.S. election to prevent Hillary Clintonhttps://time.com/4422723/putin-russia-hillary-clinton/ Why Putin Has an Electoral Bone to Pick With Hillary Clinton July 26, 2016 Simon Shuster Time https://web.archive.org/web/20230223170009/https://time.com/4422723/putin-russia-hillary-clinton/ February 24, 2023 February 23, 2023 from winning the presidency. Multiple U.S intelligence agencies concluded people with direct ties to the Kremlin gave WikiLeaks hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee. WikiLeaks did not reveal its source. Later Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, claimed that the source of the emails was not Russia or any other state.Julian Assange: Russian government not source of leaked DNC and Podesta emails – WikiLeaks editor contradicts CIA claims in new interview https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/julian-assange-russian-government-not-source-of-leaked-dnc-and-podesta-emails-wikileaks-editor-contradicts-cia-claims-in-new-interview-35300175.html dead August 14, 2018 Belfast Telegraph https://web.archive.org/web/20161217125226/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/julian-assange-russian-government-not-source-of-leaked-dnc-and-podesta-emails-wikileaks-editor-contradicts-cia-claims-in-new-interview-35300175.html December 17, 2016 Shabad Rebecca 7 October 2016 U.S. intel community 'confident' Russia directed hacks to influence election https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-intel-community-confident-russia-directed-hacks-to-influence-election/ 23 October 2016Euan McKirdy https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/04/politics/assange-wikileaks-hannity-intv/index.html WikiLeaks' Assange: Russia didn't give us emails CNN January 4, 2017 February 24, 2023 On July 13, 2018, Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian military intelligence agents of a group known as Fancy Bear alleged to be responsible for the attack,https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/13/politics/russia-investigation-indictments/index.html 12 Russians indicted in Mueller investigation CNN February 24, 2023 Katelyn Polantz Stephen Collinson July 13, 2018 who were behind the Guccifer 2.0 pseudonym which claimed responsibility.* https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-25/fbi-investigating-dnc-cyber-hack-some-democrats-blame-on-russia February 24, 2023 Chris Strohm Mike Dorning Michael Riley FBI Investigating DNC Hack Some Democrats Blame on Russia Bloomberg Politics July 25, 2016 https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/bears-midst-intrusion-democratic-national-committee/ CrowdStrike Bears in the Midst: Intrusion into the Democratic National Committee June 15, 2016 en-US July 26, 2016 https://fidelissecurity.com/threatgeek/archive/findings-analysis-dnc-intrusion-malware/ Findings from Analysis of DNC Intrusion Malware Threat Geek June 20, 2016 July 26, 2016 August 21, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160821151215/http://www.threatgeek.com/2016/06/dnc_update.html live https://slate.com/technology/2016/07/evidence-is-mounting-that-russia-was-behind-the-dnc-leaks.html Was Russia Behind the DNC Leaks? It Sure Seems Like It. Newman Lily Hay July 25, 2016 Slate en-US 1091-2339 July 26, 2016 June 20, 2016 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cyber-researchers-confirm-russian-government-hack-of-democratic-national-committee/2016/06/20/e7375bc0-3719-11e6-9ccd-d6005beac8b3_story.html Ellen Nakashima Cyber researchers confirm Russian government hack of Democratic National Committee The Washington Post July 26, 2016 https://www.secureworks.com/research/threat-group-4127-targets-hillary-clinton-presidential-campaign Threat Group 4127 Targets Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign Secureworks July 26, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160720175418/https://www.secureworks.com/research/threat-group-4127-targets-hillary-clinton-presidential-campaign July 20, 2016 dead Contents of leak The emails leaked by Wikileaks, in two phases (the first on July 22, 2016 and the second on November 6, 2016),DNC Emails https://www.scribd.com/document/395836305/DNC-Emails Scribd.com Scribd February 17, 2019 November 12, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201112032745/https://www.scribd.com/document/395836305/DNC-Emails dead revealed information about the DNC's interactions with the media, Hillary Clinton's and Bernie Sanders's campaigns, and financial contributions. It also includes personal information about the donors of the Democratic Party, including credit card and Social Security numbers, which could facilitate identity theft.McCarthy Kieren WikiLeaks fights The Man by, er, publishing ordinary people's personal information https://www.theregister.com/2016/07/22/wikileaks_keep_fighting_the_man_by_er_publishing_the_personal_details_of_ordinary_citizens/ The Register July 25, 2016 July 22, 2016 Andrea Peterson https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/28/a-twitter-spat-breaks-out-between-snowden-and-wikileaks/ Snowden and WikiLeaks clash over leaked Democratic Party emails The Washington Post February 24, 2023 July 28, 2016 Earlier, in late June 2016, Guccifer 2.0 instructed reporters to visit the DCLeaks website for emails stolen from Democrats. With the WikiLeaks disclosure of additional stolen emails beginning on July 22, 2016, more than 150,000 stolen emails from either personal Gmail addresses or via the DNC that were related to the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign were published on the DCLeaks and WikiLeaks websites. On August 12, 2016, DCLeaks released information about more than 200 Democratic lawmakers, including their personal cellphone numbers.https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016/08/13/Suspected-Russian-hackers-release-lawmakers-personal-information/1671471109735/ Suspected Russian hackers release lawmakers' personal information DuVall Eric August 13, 2016 United Press International August 30, 2016 The numerous prank calls that Hillary Clinton received from this disclosure along with the loss of her campaign's email security severely disrupted her campaign, which changed its contact information on October 7, 2016 by calling each of her contacts one at a time. Media The emails include DNC staff's "off-the-record" correspondence with media personalities, including reporters at CNN,https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/289126-todd-tapper-respond-to-being-named-in-leaked-wikileaks/ Todd, Tapper respond to being named in leaked WikiLeaks DNC emails Joe Concha July 25, 2016 The Hill July 27, 2016https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/07/24/wikileaks-emails-pro-clinton-cnn-political-commentator-pre-checked-op-ed-with-dnc/ WikiLeaks emails: Pro-Clinton CNN political commentator pre-checked op-ed with DNC Wemple Erik July 24, 2016 The Washington Post en-US 0190-8286 July 27, 2016https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/25/us/politics/media-democratic-national-committee-emails.html Ego Clashes Exposed in Leaked Emails From Democratic National Committee Grynbaum Michael M. July 24, 2016 The New York Times 0362-4331 July 27, 2016 Politico, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/hilary-leaks-wikileaks-releases-democratic-national-committee-emails/ WikiLeaks' DNC Email Leak Reveals Off The Record Media Correspondence July 22, 2016 CBS News San Francisco 23 February 2023 Hannah Albarazi Bernie Sanders's campaign In the emails, DNC staffers derided the Sanders campaign.https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/23/us/politics/dnc-emails-sanders-clinton.html February 24, 2023 Released Emails Suggest the D.N.C. Derided the Sanders Campaign Shear Michael July 22, 2016 The New York Times The Washington Post reported: "Many of the most damaging emails suggest the committee was actively trying to undermine Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign." In a May 2016 email chain, the DNC CFO Brad Marshall told the DNC chief executive officer, Amy Dacey, that they should have someone from the media ask Sanders if he is an atheist prior to the West Virginia primary.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/23/dnc-emails-wikileaks-hillary-bernie-sanders Leaked DNC emails reveal details of anti-Sanders sentiment July 24, 2016 The Guardian Associated Press 16 May 2024 On May 21, 2016, DNC National Press Secretary Mark Paustenbach sent an email to DNC Spokesman Luis Miranda mentioning a controversy that ensued in December 2015, when the National Data Director of the Sanders campaign and three subordinate staffers accessed the Clinton campaign's voter information on the NGP VAN database.Maggie Haberman Nick Corasanti https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/12/18/sanders-campaign-disciplined-for-breaching-clinton-data/ 16 May 2024 Democrats and Bernie Sanders Clash Over Data Breach https://web.archive.org/web/20220701140859/https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/12/18/sanders-campaign-disciplined-for-breaching-clinton-data/index.html 2022-07-01 live The New York Times December 18, 2016 (The party accused Sanders's campaign of impropriety and briefly limited its access to the database. The Sanders campaign filed suit for breach of contract against the DNC, but dropped the suit on April 29, 2016.)Ben Jacobs https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/18/democrats-punish-bernie-sanders-campaign-following-clinton-data-breach Democrats punish Bernie Sanders campaign following Clinton data breach The Guardian February 23, 2023 December 18, 2015 John Wagner https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/04/29/sanders-campaign-drops-lawsuit-against-dnc-stemming-from-december-data-breach-flap/ February 23, 2023 Sanders campaign drops lawsuit against DNC stemming from December data-breach flap The Washington Post April 29, 2016 Paustenbach suggested that the incident could be used to promote a "narrative for a story, which is that Bernie never had his act together, that his campaign was a mess." The DNC rejected this suggestion. The Washington Post wrote: "Paustenbach's suggestion, in that way, could be read as a defense of the committee rather than pushing negative information about Sanders. But this is still the committee pushing negative information about one of its candidates." Debbie Wasserman Schultz's emails Following the Nevada Democratic convention, Debbie Wasserman Schultz wrote about Jeff Weaver, manager of Bernie Sanders's campaign: "Damn liar. Particularly scummy that he barely acknowledges the violent and threatening behavior that occurred."https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2016/07/24/emails-offer-insights-into-wasserman-schultz-at-dnc/ 16 May 2024 live Emails offer insights into Wasserman Schultz at DNC Man Anthony July 23, 2016 Sun-Sentinel https://web.archive.org/web/20160726144231/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/sfl-emails-offer-insights-into-wasserman-schultz-at-dnc-20160724-story.html 2016-07-26 live https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/22/politics/dnc-wikileaks-emails/index.html Jeff Zeleny MJ Lee Eric Bradner Dems open convention without Wasserman Schultz July 24, 2016 CNN https://web.archive.org/web/20171022152346/http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/22/politics/dnc-wikileaks-emails/index.html July 30, 2016 2017-10-22 https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/288904-wasserman-schultz-sanders-aide-a-damn-liar/ Wasserman Schultz called top Sanders aide a 'damn liar' in leaked email Carney Jordain July 22, 2016 The Hill July 30, 2016 The email referred to a fight between supporters of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton that had taken place on May 17 in Nevada. In another email, Wasserman Schultz said of Bernie Sanders, "He isn't going to be president." Other emails showed her stating that Sanders doesn't understand the Democratic Party.Blake Aaron The Fix: Here are the latest, most damaging things in the DNC's leaked emails https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/24/here-are-the-latest-most-damaging-things-in-the-dncs-leaked-emails/ July 16, 2017 The Washington Post July 25, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20190630070810/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/24/here-are-the-latest-most-damaging-things-in-the-dncs-leaked-emails/?utm_term=.34245b73ed23 June 30, 2019 live In May 2016, MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski accused the DNC of bias against the Sanders campaign and called on Wasserman Schultz to step down.https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/report-dems-discuss-dropping-dnc-chair-692449347554 Is the DNC Chair too divisive to unify the party? May 25, 2016 Morning Joe MSNBC July 30, 2016 May 27, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160527201225/https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/report-dems-discuss-dropping-dnc-chair-692449347554 dead Tim Hains February 24, 2023 https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/05/18/msnbcs_mika_brzezinski_calls_for_dnc_chair_to_step_down_for_bias_against_sanders.html MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski Calls For DNC Chair To Step Down Over Bias Against Sanders RealClearPolitics May 18, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160724174943/http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/05/18/msnbcs_mika_brzezinski_calls_for_dnc_chair_to_step_down_for_bias_against_sanders.html July 24, 2016 live Wasserman Schultz was upset at the negative media coverage of her actions, and she emailed the political director of NBC News, Chuck Todd, that such coverage of her "must stop".https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/25/emails-show-debbie-wasserman-schultz-pressured-morning-joe-to-no-avail/ Emails show Debbie Wasserman Schultz pressured 'Morning Joe'—to no avail Callum Borchers July 25, 2016 The Washington Post July 30, 2016February 24, 2023 Sam Reisman https://www.mediaite.com/online/leaked-emails-shows-dnc-chair-told-chuck-todd-negative-coverage-must-stop/ Leaked Emails Show DNC Chair Told Chuck Todd Negative Coverage 'Must Stop' Mediaite July 22, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160723164650/http://www.mediaite.com/online/leaked-emails-shows-dnc-chair-told-chuck-todd-negative-coverage-must-stop/ July 23, 2016 live Describing the coverage as the "LAST straw", she ordered the DNC's communications director to call MSNBC president Phil Griffin to demand an apology from Brzezinski.February 23, 2023 https://theintercept.com/2016/07/22/dnc-staffers-mocked-the-bernie-sanders-campaign-leaked-emails-show/ DNC Staffers Mocked the Bernie Sanders Campaign, Leaked Emails Show Jilani Zaid July 22, 2016 The InterceptFebruary 23, 2023 https://www.salon.com/2016/07/22/dnc_emails_wasserman_schultz_furiously_pressured_msnbc_after_it_criticized_her_unfair_treatment_of_sanders/ DNC emails: Wasserman Schultz furiously pressured MSNBC after it criticized her "unfair" treatment of Sanders Norton Ben July 22, 2016 Salon Financial and donor information According to The New York Times, the cache included "thousands of emails exchanged by Democratic officials and party fund-raisers, revealing in rarely seen detail the elaborate, ingratiating and often bluntly transactional exchanges necessary to harvest hundreds of millions of dollars from the party's wealthy donor class. The emails capture a world where seating charts are arranged with dollar totals in mind, where a White House celebration of gay pride is a thinly disguised occasion for rewarding wealthy donors and where physical proximity to the president is the most precious of currencies."https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/26/us/politics/dnc-wikileaks-emails-fundraising.html In Hacked D.N.C. Emails, a Glimpse of How Big Money Works Eder Steve July 25, 2016 Confessore Nicholas The New York Times 0362-4331 July 27, 2016 As is common in national politics, large party donors "were the subject of entire dossiers, as fund-raisers tried to gauge their interests, annoyances and passions". In a series of email exchanges in April and May 2016, DNC fundraising staff discussed and compiled a list of people (mainly donors) who might be appointed to federal boards and commissions.https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/07/leaks-show-dnc-asked-white-house-to-reward-donors-with-slots-on-boards-and-commissions/ Leaks show DNC asked White House to reward donors with slots on boards and commissions Goodwin Alec July 26, 2016 OpenSecrets en-US July 29, 2016 OpenSecrets senior fellow Bob Biersack noted that this is a longstanding practice in the United States: "Big donors have always risen to the top of lists for appointment to plum ambassadorships and other boards and commissions around the federal landscape." The White House denied that financial support for the party was connected to board appointments, saying: "Being a donor does not get you a role in this administration, nor does it preclude you from getting one. We've said this for many years now and there's nothing in the emails that have been released that contradicts that." France In 2011, France, under President Nicolas Sarkozy, led calls for international intervention in the Libyan Civil War, voted in favor of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 and, subsequently, dispatched the French Air Force into direct military action in Libya in support of the National Transitional Council.Elliott Michael Viewpoint: How Libya Became a French and British War https://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2060412,00.html March 20, 2018 TIME March 19, 2011 At the time, France said the move was to protect Libyan civilians. But in a private email from Sidney Blumenthal to Hillary Clintonrevealed as part of the 2016 Democratic National Committee email leakBlumenthal claimed France was more concerned with Libya's large gold reserves, which might pose a threat to the value of the Central African Franc, thereby weakening French influence in Africa, and that Sarkozy was interested in increased access to Libyan oil. Former French diplomat Patrick Haimzadeh described Blumenthal's analysis as reflecting a popular theory on conspiracy theory websites, yet called the analysis "not credible" because "the timeline just doesn't add up" with Sarkozy's decision to intervene preceding knowledge of Gaddafi's plans.Asher-Schapiro Avi Libyan Oil, Gold, and Qaddafi: The Strange Email Sidney Blumenthal Sent Hillary Clinton In 2011 https://www.vice.com/en/article/libyan-oil-gold-and-qaddafi-the-strange-email-sidney-blumenthal-sent-hillary-clinton-in-2011/ March 20, 2018 Vice January 12, 2016 French investigative journalist Fabrice Arfi dismissed Blumenthal's claim as "far-fetched", while also acknowledging that even U.S. intelligence did not find France's publicly stated motivations for the Libya intervention to be entirely credible either. Perpetrators Cybersecurity analysis A self-styled hacker going by the moniker "Guccifer 2.0" claimed to be the source of the leaks;Uchill Joe Evidence mounts linking DNC email hacker to Russia July 26, 2016 https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/289296-guccifer-20-used-russian-language-vpns-to-leak-documents The Hill July 31, 2016https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/288883-wikileaks-posts-20000-dnc-emails/ WikiLeaks posts 20,000 DNC emails Uchill Joe July 22, 2016 The Hill August 7, 2016 WikiLeaks did not reveal its source. When asked about Guccifer 2.0's leaks, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said, "These look very much like they're from the Russians. But in some ways, they look very amateur, and almost look too much like the Russians."Uchill Joe 2016-12-15 Assange: Some leaks may have been Russian https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/310654-assange-some-leaks-may-have-been-russian/ 2022-07-27 The Hill en-USRaffi Khatchadourian 2018-07-24 What the Latest Mueller Indictment Reveals About WikiLeaks' Ties to Russia—and What It Doesn't https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/what-the-latest-mueller-indictment-reveals-about-wikileaks-ties-to-russia-and-what-it-doesnt 2022-07-27 The New Yorker Condé Nast en-US Cybersecurity experts and firms, including CrowdStrike, Fidelis Cybersecurity, Mandiant, SecureWorks, and ThreatConnect, and the editor for Ars Technica, stated the leak was part of a series of cyberattacks on the DNC committed by two Russian intelligence groups.Goodin Dan "Guccifer" leak of DNC Trump research has a Russian's fingerprints on it https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/06/guccifer-leak-of-dnc-trump-research-has-a-russians-fingerprints-on-it/ June 16, 2016 Ars Technica June 16, 2016Shieber Jonathan Conger Kate Did Russian government hackers leak the DNC emails? https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/26/russia-dnc-hack/ July 27, 2016 TechCrunch July 26, 2016Rid Thomas July 25, 2016 All Signs Point to Russia Being Behind the DNC Hack https://www.vice.com/en/article/all-signs-point-to-russia-being-behind-the-dnc-hack/ Motherboard Vice July 25, 2016https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/22/wikileaks-posts-nearly-20000-hacked-dnc-emails-online/ Wikileaks posts nearly 20,000 hacked DNC emails online The Washington Post February 24, 2023 Andrea Peterson July 22, 2016 Alan Yuhas https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/24/clinton-campaign-blames-russia-wikileaks-sanders-dnc-emails DNC email leak: Sanders calls for new leader as Clinton camp blames Russia July 24, 2016 The Guardian February 24, 2023 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/26/dnc-email-leak-russian-hack-guccifer-2 Sam Thielman DNC email leak: Russian hackers Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear behind breach July 26, 2016 The Guardian February 24, 2023 U.S. intelligence agencies also stated (with "high confidence"Spy Agency Consensus Grows That Russia Hacked D.N.C. David E. Sanger Eric Schmitt https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/us/politics/spy-agency-consensus-grows-that-russia-hacked-dnc.html The New York Times July 26, 2016 (citing "federal officials who have been briefed on the evidence").) that the Russian government was behind the theft of emails and documents from the DNC, according to reports in The New York Times and The Washington Post.Ellen Nakashima https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/is-there-a-russian-master-plan-to-install-trump-in-the-white-house-some-intelligence-officials-are-skeptical/2016/07/27/788accf8-5428-11e6-bbf5-957ad17b4385_story.html Is there a Russian master plan to install Trump in the White House? Some intelligence officials are skeptical The Washington Post July 27, 2016 February 24, 2023 Franceschi-Bicchierai Lorenzo How Hackers Broke Into John Podesta and Colin Powell's Gmail Accounts https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-hackers-broke-into-john-podesta-and-colin-powells-gmail-accounts/ October 20, 2016 Vice Motherboard October 20, 2016Rid Thomas How Russia Pulled Off the Biggest Election Hack in U.S. History https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a49791/russian-dnc-emails-hacked/ Esquire October 20, 2016 October 20, 2016Frenkel Sheena Meet Fancy Bear https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/sheerafrenkel/meet-fancy-bear-the-russian-group-hacking-the-us-election Buzzfeed News October 15, 2016 October 15, 2016 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange initially stuck to WikiLeaks policy of neither confirming nor denying sources but in January 2017 said that their "source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party,"Alex Johnson https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wikileaks-julian-assange-no-proof-hacked-dnc-emails-came-russia-n616541 WikiLeaks' Julian Assange: 'No Proof' Hacked DNC Emails Came From Russia NBC News July 25, 2016 https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/01/02/assange_to_hannity_our_source_was_not_the_russian_government.html Ian Schwartz Assange To Hannity: Source For WikiLeaks Was Not Russian Government Real Clear Politics January 2, 2017 and the Russian government said it had no involvement.Vladimir Soldatkin Doina Chiacu February 24, 2023 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-hack-russia-idUSKCN0Z02EK Moscow denies Russian involvement in U.S. DNC hacking Reuters June 14, 2016 Comey testified that the FBI requested, but did not receive, physical access to the DNC servers.Emily Schultheis https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-director-comey-agency-requested-access-to-dnc-servers/ FBI Director Comey: Agency requested access to DNC servers CBS News January 10, 2017 Manuela Tobias https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2017/jul/11/donald-trump/did-john-podesta-deny-cia-and-fbi-access-dnc-serve/ Did John Podesta deny CIA and FBI access to DNC server, as Donald Trump claims? July 11, 2017 According to Comey, the FBI did obtain copies of the servers and all the information on them, as well as access to forensics from CrowdStrike, a third-party cybersecurity company that reviewed the DNC servers. Comey said that access through Crowdstrike was an "appropriate substitute" and called the firm a "highly respected private company". Guccifer 2.0 submission to WikiLeaks A week after Guccifer 2.0 appeared online, WikiLeaks sent the persona a message saying to "send any new material here for us to review and it will have a much higher impact than what you are doing".Lee Micah July 18, 2018 What Mueller's Latest Indictment Reveals About Russian and U.S. Spycraft https://theintercept.com/2018/07/18/mueller-indictment-russian-hackers/ 2022-07-27 The Intercept en After not receiving a reply, on July 26, 2016 WikiLeaks sent another message that said "if you have anything hillary related we want it in the next tweo [sic] days prefable [sic] because the DNC is approaching and she will solidify bernie supporters behind her after." Guccifer 2.0 responded "ok ... i see," and WikiLeaks added "we think trump has only a 25% chance of winning against hillary ... so conflict between bernie and hillary is interesting."Nilsen Ella 2018-07-13 The Mueller indictments reveal the timing of the DNC leak was intentional https://www.vox.com/2018/7/13/17569030/mueller-indictments-russia-hackers-bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-democratic-national-convention 2022-07-27 Vox enBump Philip July 13, 2018 Timeline: How Russian agents allegedly hacked the DNC and Clinton's campaign The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/07/13/timeline-how-russian-agents-allegedly-hacked-the-dnc-and-clintons-campaign July 15, 2018 On July 14, 2016 Guccifer 2.0 sent WikiLeaks an email with an encrypted attachment labeled "wk dnc link1.txt.gpg."Poulsen Kevin April 18, 2019 Mueller Report: Assange Smeared Seth Rich to Cover for Russians The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/mueller-report-julian-assange-smeared-seth-rich-to-cover-for-russians April 22, 2019 Julian Assange not only knew that a murdered Democratic National Committee staffer wasn't his source for thousands of hacked party emails, he was in active contact with his real sources in Russia's GRU months after Seth Rich's death. At the same time he was publicly working to shift blame onto the slain staffer "to obscure the source of the materials he was releasing", Special Counsel Robert Mueller asserts in his final report on Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election. According to the indictment, the email explained that "the encrypted file contained instructions on how to access an online archive of stolen DNC documents." Four days later, WikiLeaks responded that it had received "the 1Gb or so archive" and would release the files that week. The DNC emails were released several days later. United States intelligence conclusions On October 7, 2016, the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence stated that the US intelligence community was "confident" that the Russian government directed the breaches and the release of the obtained or allegedly obtained material in an attempt to "... interfere with the US election process."Nakashima Ellen US government officially accuses Russia of hacking campaign to interfere with elections https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-government-officially-accuses-russia-of-hacking-campaign-to-influence-elections/2016/10/07/4e0b9654-8cbf-11e6-875e-2c1bfe943b66_story.html October 7, 2016 The Washington Post October 7, 2016Ackerman Spencer Thielman Sam US officially accuses Russia of hacking DNC and interfering with election October 8, 2016 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/07/us-russia-dnc-hack-interfering-presidential-election The Guardian October 7, 2016https://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/07/politics/us-blames-russia-for-targeting-election-systems/index.html US accuses Russia of trying to interfere with 2016 election Evan Perez Theodore Schleifer CNN October 7, 2016 October 7, 2016 The U.S. Intelligence Community tasked resources debating why Putin chose summer 2016 to escalate active measures influencing U.S. politics.December 2, 2016 The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/vladimir-putin-wins-the-election-no-matter-who-the-next-president-is Shane Harris Shane Harris Vladimir Putin Wins the Election No Matter Who The Next President Is November 4, 2016 Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper said after the 2011–13 Russian protests, Putin's confidence in his viability as a politician was damaged, and Putin responded with the propaganda operation. Former CIA officer Patrick Skinner explained the goal was to spread uncertainty.December 2, 2016 Mother Jones https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/11/trump-russia-kremlin-propaganda-tactics/ November 21, 2016 The Kremlin Would Be Proud of Trump's Propaganda Playbook Bryan Schatz U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff, Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, commented on Putin's aims, and said U.S. intelligence agencies were concerned with Russian propaganda. Speaking about disinformation that appeared in Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland, Schiff said there was an increase of the same behavior in the U.S. Schiff concluded Russian propaganda operations would continue against the U.S. after the election. On December 9, 2016, the CIA told U.S. legislators the U.S. Intelligence Community concluded Russia conducted operations during the 2016 U.S. election to assist Donald Trump in winning the presidency.The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-orders-review-of-russian-hacking-during-presidential-campaign/2016/12/09/31d6b300-be2a-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html December 10, 2016 December 9, 2016 Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House Adam Entous Ellen Nakashima Greg Miller Business Insider December 9, 2016 December 10, 2016 https://www.businessinsider.com/cia-russia-helped-trump-win-us-election-2016-12 The CIA says it has evidence that Russia tried to help Trump win the US election Chris Sanchez Bryan Logan New York Daily News December 9, 2016 December 10, 2016 http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/russia-helped-donald-trump-win-white-house-report-article-1.2905442 Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the White House: report Chris Sommerfeldt Multiple U.S. intelligence agencies concluded people with direct ties to the Kremlin gave WikiLeaks hacked emails from the DNC and additional sources such as John Podesta, campaign chairman for Hillary Clinton. TheseGrimm Linda Director of National Intelligence Declassifies Report on Russian Interference in 2016 U.S. Election http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781544300726.n2 Historic Documents of 2017 2018 12–22 Thousand Oaks, CA CQ Press 10.4135/9781544300726.n2 978-1-5443-0070-2 2020-11-15December 2016 intelligence organizations additionally concluded Russia attempted to hack the Republican National Committee (RNC) as well as the DNC but were prevented by security defenses on the RNC network.http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/nation-world/article/Russia-Hacked-Republican-Committee-but-Kept-Data-10787385.php December 10, 2016 December 9, 2016 The New York Times Houston Chronicle Russia hacked Republican committee but kept data, U.S. concludes David E. Sanger Scott Shane Scott Shane https://www.wsj.com/articles/republican-national-committee-security-foiled-russian-hackers-1481850043 February 24, 2023 Shane Harris Shane Harris Devlin Barrett Julian E. Barnes December 16, 2016 The Wall Street Journal Republican National Committee Security Foiled Russian Hackers In December 2016, the CIA said the foreign intelligence agents were Russian operatives previously known to the U.S. CIA officials told U.S. Senators it was "quite clear" Russia's intentions were to help Trump. Trump released a statement December 9, and disregarded the CIA conclusions. In June 2017, former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, who was appointed by and served under President Barack Obama, testified before a House Select committee that his department offered their assistance to the DNC during the campaign to determine what happened to their server, but said his efforts were "rebuffed" because the Department of Homeland Security was offering to provide assistance months after the FBI had provided assistance.Dan Boylan https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/5/dnc-email-server-most-wanted-evidence-for-russia-i/ July 5, 2017 July 5, 2017 The Washington Times DNC email server most wanted evidence for Russia investigations https://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/22/dnc-russian-hacking-homeland-security-239866 Austin Wright May 20, 2018 June 22, 2017 Politico DNC: The Russians had been booted from our system by the time DHS called Throughout late 2017 into early 2018, numerous individuals gave testimonies to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) who were charged with carrying out an investigation into the series of cyberattacks.https://intelligence.house.gov/russiainvestigation/ Russia Investigation Transcripts and Documents House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence https://web.archive.org/web/20200507214316/https://intelligence.house.gov/russiainvestigation/ 23 February 2023 2020-05-07 Steele dossier allegations Steele dossier The Steele dossier, a controversial and unfinished political opposition research report published in January 2017 without the author's permission, included several allegations relating to the hacking and leaking of the emails. The individuals named have denied the allegations. Some allegations have been publicly confirmed,https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/10/politics/russia-dossier-update/index.html US investigators corroborate some aspects of the Russia dossier Sciutto Jim Jim Sciutto Perez Evan February 10, 2017 CNN February 10, 2017 however the intelligence community and most experts have treated the dossier with caution due to its unverified allegations.Cullison Alan Volz Dustin Mueller Report Dismisses Many Steele Dossier Claims The Wall Street Journal April 19, 2019 https://www.wsj.com/articles/mueller-report-dismisses-many-steele-dossier-claims-11555710147 August 7, 2019 Reactions On July 18, 2016, Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for Russian president Vladimir Putin, stated that the Russian government had no involvement in the DNC hacking incident.https://www.foxnews.com/tech/hacker-guccifer-2-0-claims-new-dnc-data-leak Hacker Guccifer 2.0 claims new DNC data leak July 18, 2016 Fox News en-US July 26, 2016 Peskov called it "paranoid" and "absurd",https://www.dw.com/en/amid-fbi-probe-russia-denies-it-hacked-democrats-emails/a-19428426 Amid FBI probe Russia denies it hacked Democrats' emails May 15, 2020 July 26, 2016 Deutsche Welle AP, Reuters, AFP saying: "We are again seeing these maniacal attempts to exploit the Russian theme in the US election campaign."https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-27/kremlin-says-idea-it-hacked-us-democratic-party-emails-absurd/7663558 Kremlin dismisses US Democratic email hack claims as 'absurd' and an 'old trick' July 26, 2016 Reuters/AFP ABC News Australian Broadcasting Corporation February 24, 2023 That position was later reiterated by the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, which called the allegation "entirely unrealistic".http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?pg=7&id=690419 Media claims of Moscow's attempts to interfere in U.S. presidential campaign progress unfounded – Russian Embassy Interfax August 30, 2016 September 11, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160911051555/http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?pg=7&id=690419 dead Then-Republican nominee Donald Trump said on Twitter: "Leaked e-mails of DNC show plans to destroy Bernie Sanders. Mock his heritage and much more. On-line from Wikileakes , really vicious. RIGGED."February 24, 2023 https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/24/politics/dnc-email-leak-wikileaks/index.html Theodore Schleifer Eugene Scott What was in the DNC email leak? CNN July 25, 2016 The leak fueled tensions going into the 2016 Democratic National Convention: although DNC operatives initially denied accusations of bias, Sanders operatives and multiple media commentators cited the leaks as clear evidence that the DNC had been favoring Clinton and undermining Sanders.https://time.com/4420912/bernie-sanders-dnc-wikileaks-debbie-wasserman-schultz/ Bernie Sanders Calls for Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Resign After Email Leak Chan Melissa July 24, 2016 Time November 21, 2018 August 4, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200804020804/https://time.com/4420912/bernie-sanders-dnc-wikileaks-debbie-wasserman-schultz/ dead https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/bitterness-and-frustration-among-dems-over-email-leak-1.5414930 https://web.archive.org/web/20181202070532/https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/bitterness-and-frustration-among-dems-over-email-leak-1.5414930 dead December 2, 2018 Sanders Calls for DNC Chair's Resignation as Hacked Emails Overshadow Convention Flaherty Anne July 24, 2016 Haaretz November 21, 2018 Several media commentators have disputed the significance of the emails, arguing that the DNC's internal preference for Clinton was not historically unusual and was unlikely to have swayed the final outcome of the primary;Heersink Boris November 4, 2017 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/11/04/no-the-dnc-didnt-rig-the-democratic-primary-for-hillary-clinton/ No, the DNC didn't 'rig' the Democratic primary for Hillary Clinton The Washington Post March 8, 2018 Houle Dana July 25, 2016 https://newrepublic.com/article/135472/no-dnc-didnt-rig-primary-favor-hillary No, the DNC Didn't Rig the Primary in Favor of Hillary The New Republic March 8, 2018 Holland Joshua July 29, 2016 https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/what-the-leaked-e-mails-do-and-dont-tell-us-about-the-dnc-and-bernie-sanders/ What the Leaked E-mails Do and Don't Tell Us About the DNC and Bernie Sanders The Nation March 8, 2018 December 5, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191205101725/https://www.thenation.com/article/what-the-leaked-e-mails-do-and-dont-tell-us-about-the-dnc-and-bernie-sanders/ live whereas many of Sanders's supporters viewed the revelations as symptomatic of an entrenched, unethical political establishment.Cassidy John July 25, 2016 https://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/why-some-of-bernie-sanderss-supporters-are-angry Why Some of Bernie Sanders's Supporters Are Angry The New Yorker February 21, 2019 West John July 26, 2016 https://qz.com/742394/the-dnc-email-leaks-expose-the-rampant-elitism-that-made-way-for-trump/ The DNC email leaks expose the rampant elitism that made way for Trump Quartz February 21, 2019 On July 24, 2016, Sanders urged Wasserman Schultz to resign following the leak and stated that he was "disappointed" by the leak, but that he was "not shocked".Hayley https://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/bernie-sanders-calls-wasserman-schultz-resign-wake-dnc/story?id=40824983 Walker Bernie Sanders Calls for Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Resign in Wake of Email Leaks February 24, 2023 ABC News July 24, 2016 Jeff Weaver, Bernie Sanders's campaign manager, called for greater accountability in the DNC, calling Wasserman Schultz "a figure of disunity" within the Democratic Party.Drabold Will https://time.com/4422715/bernie-sanders-dnc-apology-leaked-emails/ DNC Apologizes to Bernie Sanders and Supporters Time July 25, 2016 July 25, 2016Parks Maryalice https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/bernie-sanders-campaign-chief-accountable-dnc-emails-show/story?id=40825318 Bernie Sanders Campaign Chief Says Someone Must Be 'Accountable' for What DNC Emails Show July 30, 2016 ABC News July 30, 2016 Later the same day, Wasserman Schultz resigned from her position as DNC Chairman, effective as of the end of the nominating convention.Whitesides John https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN1040TO Democrats in disarray on eve of convention to nominate Clinton Reuters July 24, 2016 July 24, 2016 After Wasserman Schultz resigned, Sanders said that she had "made the right decision for the future of the Democratic Party."https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/289028-sanders-wasserman-schultz-made-right-decision-to-resign/ Sanders: Wasserman Schultz made 'right decision' to resign from DNC The Hill Jessie Hellmann February 23, 2023 July 24, 2016 On the following day, the DNC apologized to Bernie Sanders and his supporters, stating, "On behalf of everyone at the DNC, we want to offer a deep and sincere apology to Senator Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic Party for the inexcusable remarks made over email," and that the emails did not reflect the DNC's "steadfast commitment to neutrality during the nominating process". On July 24, 2016, in an interview with NPR, former DNC Chair and former Governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe said "...that the chair's job should be "to remain neutral". "I sat in that chair in 2004 trying to navigate all the different candidates we had. But if you had people in there who were trashing one of the candidates, I can tell you this, if I were still chairman they wouldn't be working there. I mean, that is just totally unacceptable behavior."Amita Kelly Eyder Peralta https://www.npr.org/2016/07/24/487242426/bernie-sanders-dnc-emails-outrageous-but-not-a-shock Debbie Wasserman Schultz To Step Down As Democratic Chair After Convention NPR February 24, 2023 July 24, 2016 On July 25, 2016, Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter for the BBC, commented that "the revelation that those in the heart of the Democratic establishment sought to undermine the anti-establishment Sanders is roughly on a par with [Casablanca character] police Capt Renault's professed shock that gambling was taking place in the Casablanca club he was raiding, as a waiter hands him his winnings."https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2016-36879197 US election: Email row claims Debbie Wasserman Schultz BBC News July 25, 2016 July 25, 2016 On July 25, 2016, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus said that "Today's events show really what an uphill climb the Democrats are facing this week in unifying their party. Starting out the week by losing your party chairman over longstanding bitterness between factions is no way to keep something together."Sabrina Siddiqui https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/24/priebus-manafort-republican-wasserman-schultz-dnc Priebus and Manafort seize on Wasserman Schultz DNC resignation The Guardian February 24, 2023 July 24, 2016 After the emails were released, the Australian diplomat Alexander Downer informed the U.S. government that, in May 2016 at a London wine bar, Trump campaign staffer George Papadopoulos had told him that the Russian government had a large trove of Hillary Clinton emails that could potentially damage her presidential campaign. The FBI started a counterintelligence investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/30/us/politics/how-fbi-russia-investigation-began-george-papadopoulos.html How the Russia Inquiry Began: A Campaign Aide, Drinks and Talk of Political Dirt LaFraniere Sharon December 30, 2017 The New York Times December 30, 2017 Mazzetti Mark en-US 0362-4331 Apuzzo Matt The Guardian Trump-Russia inquiry: Australian PM denies US relationship damaged by Downer report https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/01/trump-russia-inquiry-australia-malcolm-turnbull-denies-relationship-damaged-alexander-downer-george-papadopoulos January 1, 2018 Remeikis Amy January 1, 2018 On October 14, 2016, NBC News reported that multiple sources were telling them that Barack Obama had ordered the CIA to present him with options for a retaliatory cyber attack against the Russian Federation for allegedly interfering in the US presidential election. Sources said that this is not the first time the CIA has presented such options to a president, but that on all previous occasions the decision was made not to carry out the proposed attacks.Arkin William M. Dilanian Ken Windrem Robert CIA Prepping for Possible Cyber Strike Against Russia https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cia-prepping-possible-cyber-strike-against-russia-n666636 October 15, 2016 NBC News NBC News October 14, 2016 Media coverage and public perception On July 27, 2016, The New York Times reported that Julian Assange, in an interview on British ITV on June 12, 2016, had "made it clear that he hoped to harm Hillary Clinton's chances of winning the presidency," and that in a later interviewJulian Assange Amy Goodman Juan González https://www.democracynow.org/2016/7/25/exclusive_wikileaks_julian_assange_on_releasing EXCLUSIVE: WikiLeaks' Julian Assange on Releasing DNC Emails That Ousted Debbie Wasserman Schultz Democracy Now! July 25, 2016 en March 20, 2019 on the program Democracy Now! on July 25, 2016, the first day of the Democratic National Convention, he acknowledged that "he had timed their release to coincide with the Democratic convention."Charlie Savage Charlie Savage (author) https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/us/politics/assange-timed-wikileaks-release-of-democratic-emails-to-harm-hillary-clinton.html Assange, Avowed Foe of Clinton, Timed Email Release for Democratic Convention The New York Times July 26, 2016 February 24, 2023 In an interview with CNN, Assange would neither confirm nor deny who WikiLeaks' sources were; he claimed that his website "...might release 'a lot more material' relevant to the US electoral campaign..."https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/26/politics/julian-assange-dnc-email-leak-hack/ February 23, 2023 Matthew Chance Julian Assange: 'A lot more material' coming on US elections CNN July 27, 2016 Following the publication of the stolen emails, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden criticized WikiLeaks for its wholesale leakage of data, writing that "their hostility to even modest curation is a mistake". The Washington Post contrasted the difference between WikiLeaks' practices and Snowden's disclosure of information about NSA: while Snowden worked with journalists to vet documents (withholding some, where it would endanger national security), WikiLeaks' "more radical" approach involves the dumping of "massive, searchable caches online with few—if any—apparent efforts to remove sensitive personal information." On July 25, 2016, Anne Applebaum, columnist for The Washington Post, wrote that: ... with the exception of a few people on Twitter and a handful of print journalists, most of those covering this story, especially on television, are not interested in the nature of the hackers, and they are not asking why the Russians apparently chose to pass the emails on to WikiLeaks at this particular moment, on the eve of the Democratic National Convention. They are focusing instead on the content of what were meant to be private emails ... She went on to describe in detail other Russian destabilization campaigns in Eastern European countries.Anne Applebaum Connecting the dots: How Russia benefits from the DNC mail leaks The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/07/25/connecting-the-dots-how-russia-benefits-from-the-dnc-email-leak/ July 25, 2016 On July 25, 2016, Thomas Rid, Professor in Security Studies at King's College, London, and non-resident fellow at the School for Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, in Washington, DC, summed up the evidence pointing to Russia being behind the hacking of the DNC files and the "Guccifer-branded leaking operation." He concluded that these actions successfully blunted the "DNC's ability to use its opposition research in surprise against Trump..." He further writes that data exfiltration from political organizations is done by many countries and is considered to be a legitimate form of intelligence work. "But digitally exfiltrating and then publishing possibly manipulated documents disguised as freewheeling hacktivism is crossing a big red line and setting a dangerous precedent: an authoritarian country directly yet covertly trying to sabotage an American election." Russian security expert and investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov said, "It is almost impossible to know for sure whether or not Russia is behind a hack of the DNC's servers." According to him, one of the reasons Russia would try to sway the US presidential election is that the Russian government considers Clinton "a hater of Russia": "There is this mentality in Russia of being besieged; that it is always under attack from the United States. ... They are trying to interfere in our internal affairs so why not try to do the same thing to them?"Emma Burrows https://www.dw.com/en/pro-kremlin-youth-groups-could-be-behind-dnc-hack/a-19430216 'Pro-Kremlin youth groups' could be behind DNC hack July 27, 2016 Deutsche Welle February 23, 2023 Civil DNC lawsuit Democratic National Committee v. Russian Federation On April 20, 2018, the Democratic National Committee filed a civil lawsuit in federal court in New York, accusing the Russian government, the Trump campaign, Wikileaks, and others of conspiracy to alter the course of the 2016 presidential election and asking for monetary damages and a declaration admitting guilt. A hearing on the defendants' motions to dismiss was scheduled for May 17, 2018.Burns Alexander Shear Michael D. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/20/us/politics/dnc-russia-trump-lawsuit.html Democratic Party Alleges Trump-Russia Conspiracy in New Lawsuit The Washington Post April 20, 2018 April 20, 2018Hamburger Tom Helderman Rosalind S. Nakashima Ellen https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democratic-party-files-lawsuit-alleging-russia-the-trump-campaign-and-wikileaks-conspired-to-disrupt-the-2016-campaign/2018/04/20/befe8364-4418-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html Democratic Party sues Russia, Trump campaign and WikiLeaks alleging 2016 campaign conspiracy The Washington Post April 20, 2018 April 20, 2018 In July 2019, the suit was dismissed with prejudice. In his judgement, federal judge John Koeltl said that although he believed the Russian government was involved in the hacking, US federal law generally prohibited suits against foreign governments. The judge said the other defendants "did not participate in any wrongdoing in obtaining the materials in the first place" and were therefore within the law in publishing the information. He also said that the DNC's argument was "entirely divorced from the facts" and even if the Russians had directly provided the hacked documents to the Trump team, it would not be criminal for the campaign to publish those documents, as long as they did not contribute to the hacking itself. Koeltl denied the defendants motion for sanctions, but dismissed the suit with prejudice, meaning it had a substantive legal defect and could not be refiled.Re Gregg Judge dismisses DNC lawsuit against Trump campaign, Russia, WikiLeaks over hacking https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-dismisses-dnc-lawsuit-against-trump-campaign-russia-wikileaks-over-hacking/ar-AAF5bE9 msn July 31, 2019 July 31, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190730221720/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/judge-dismisses-dnc-lawsuit-against-trump-campaign-russia-wikileaks-over-hacking/ar-AAF5bE9 2019-07-30 See also Clinton plan intelligence conspiracy theory Democratic National Committee cyber attacks Murder of Seth Rich The Plot to Hack America Podesta emails Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections References expanded Category:2016 in American politics Category:2016 scandals Category:Controversies of the 2016 United States presidential election Category:Data breaches Email leak Category:Email hacking Category:Hillary Clinton controversies Category:Information published by WikiLeaks Category:July 2016 in the United States Category:Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections Category:Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign Category:Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign