Reaction to the Mueller indictment is pouring in.
Earlier today, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced indictments against 13 Russian nationals and 3 Russian entities for meddling in the 2016 Presidential election, which began in 2014 before the President declared his candidacy. President Donald J. Trump has been fully briefed on this matter and is glad to see the Special Counsel’s investigation further indicates—that there was NO COLLUSION between the Trump campaign and Russia and that the outcome of the election was not changed or affected.
President Trump says, “it is more important than ever before to come together as Americans. We cannot allow those seeking to sow confusion, discord, and rancor to be successful. It’s time we stop the outlandish partisan attacks, wild and false allegations, and far-fetched theories, which only serve to further the agendas of bad actors, like Russia, and do nothing to protect the principles of our institutions. We must unite as Americans to protect the integrity of our democracy and our elections.”
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA):
“The Putin regime presents a pressing threat to American interests, including through Moscow’s long-running influence operations against the United States. The House Intelligence Committee has been investigating these threats for many years: in 2014—the year the Russians began their operation targeting the 2016 elections—I warned about Russia’s worldwide influence operations. In April 2016 I stated that the United States’ failure to predict Putin’s plans and intentions is ‘the biggest intelligence failure that we’ve had since 9/11.’ Although the Obama Administration failed to act on the Committee’s warnings, it’s gratifying to see that Russian agents involved in these operations have now been identified and indicted.”
House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA):
“Today's indictment by Special Counsel Mueller is a significant step forward in exposing Russia's political and electoral interference in our democracy and holding Russia, and its agents, accountable. The indictment spells out in exhaustive detail the breadth and systematic nature of Russia's conspiracy, dating back to 2014, as well as the multiple ways in which Russian actors misused online platforms to carry out their clandestine operations.
“The indictment reaffirms what our Intelligence Community concluded, what our Committee's investigation has borne out, and what President Trump denies: that Russia interfered in our election in an effort to assist his presidential campaign and harm Hillary Clinton’s campaign. The indictment's charges are also consistent with the Committee's specific findings about Russia's stealth exploitation of social media networks, which the Committee highlighted for the American public in its open hearing and will continue to expose in the weeks to come. The indictment outlines the great lengths to which Russian nationals working for Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Putin, gathered intelligence as early as 2014, within the U.S. and about Americans, to carry out their covert operation.
“Importantly, the indictment sets out some of the U.S laws violated by the Russians, including various conspiracy counts. While it does not include an allegation that any U.S. persons conspired wittingly with the Russian actors, the indictment leaves open the vital question of whether Americans, including any associated with the Trump campaign, knowingly played a role in Russia’s active measures campaign.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI):
“We have known that Russians meddled in the election, but these indictments detail the extent of the subterfuge. These Russians engaged in a sinister and systematic attack on our political system. It was a conspiracy to subvert the process, and take aim at democracy itself. Today’s announcement underscores why we need to follow the facts and work to protect the integrity of future elections.”
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA):
“The Senate Intelligence Committee, as a part of our bipartisan investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, has been focused on uncovering and exposing the role that social media disinformation played in that effort.
“I'm glad to see that work vindicated today by the Special Counsel’s indictment of the ‘Internet Research Agency,’ the Russian troll farm that was a key component of Russia’s attempts to interfere in the U.S. elections in 2016, and which continues to spew divisive and false content aimed at undermining the United States. With this indictment, the Special Counsel and his team have taken an important step to hold Russia accountable.
“As we heard this week from the nation’s top intelligence officials, Russia is still using social media to attack our democratic institutions and sow division amongst Americans. In Tuesday’s hearing, I was frustrated to hear that there is still no one leading a coordinated, organized effort within the intelligence community to monitor and combat Russian disinformation campaigns on social media. As Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I will continue pressing the nation’s intelligence leaders and the social media companies to be far more aggressive and proactive in responding to this threat.
“While platforms like Facebook and Twitter are allowing Americans to communicate and share ideas in ways unimaginable just a decade ago, we’re also learning that we each bear some responsibility for exercising good judgment and a healthy amount of skepticism when it comes to the things we read and share on social media.”
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-NY):
“Russia purposefully interfered in the 2016 U.S. Election to sow disinformation and confusion among Americans. Its aim was to disrupt and alter the outcome of America’s proudest tradition – our free and fair election process. And it’s clear that Russia will do so again if Congress doesn’t act to fix the serious vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure.
“Just this week, Democrats proposed commonsense steps we must take to stop countries from interfering in our elections. The indictment charges brought today highlight the serious need for our leaders to act.
“Today’s announcement also underscores why Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation must continue unencumbered from political pressure from the White House and congressional Republicans. The investigation must follow the facts wherever they may lead.”
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) (via Politico):
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders declined to directly address Friday's revelation that Russian actors sought to boost his presidential primary campaign and sink Hillary Clinton's in 2016, instead insisting that the special counsel’s investigation proceed unimpeded.
“It has been clear to everyone (except Donald Trump) that Russia was deeply involved in the 2016 elections and intends to be involved in the 2018 elections. It is the American people who should be deciding the political future of our country, not Mr. Putin and the Russian oligarchs,” Sanders said in a statement. “It is absolutely imperative that the Mueller investigation be allowed to go forward without obstruction from the Trump administration or Congress.”
House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY):
“Given the facts alleged in this indictment, not even President Trump should doubt that the Russian government’s effort to subvert our last election was real, that the conspiracy was aimed at helping the Trump campaign and damaging Hillary Clinton, and that Russian operatives were both present in the United States and aided by co-conspirators on the ground.
“That last point should be repeated: these thirteen defendants worked ‘with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury’ to defraud the United States. The indictment does not identify these co-conspirators. I suspect their names will be known to us soon.
“Today’s indictments should lay to rest any assertions by President Trump that the Special Counsel’s investigation is a ‘hoax’ or a ‘witch hunt.’ At this point, any step President Trump may take to interfere with the Special Counsel’s investigation—including removing Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein, or threatening to remove Special Counsel Mueller directly—will have to be seen as a direct attempt to aid the Russian government in attacking American democracy.”
Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE):
“Mueller just put Moscow on notice. This ought to be a wakeup call to Washington: Putin’s shadow war is aimed at undermining Americans’ trust in our institutions. We know Russia is coming back in 2018 and 2020 – we have to take this threat seriously.”