In a CNN interview Tuesday, 2016 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein repeated a popular Russian government talking point when confronted with evidence of election interference: The U.S. does it too.
CNN:
Asked on CNN's "New Day" by co-anchor Chris Cuomo if she still harbors reservations that Russia interfered in the 2016 election with negative intent, Stein said, "I think it would be naive to think that Russia did not try to interfere."
But, she said, "Certainly that's what the United States does," though she added, "that's not to justify it."
"Interference is wrong and it's an assault against democracy, and it should be pursued, but (the United States) should pursue it knowing that we do it, too."
"From the American perspective and you running for president, more than once of this country, shouldn't your position have been, 'This was bad what they did. They're trying to do it right now and we have to stop it?'" Cuomo asked.
"I think that kind of position, which says that we're in a totally different category from the rest of the world, is not working," Stein answered.
She went on to add later, "We're in a multipolar world right now and we need to behave as an exemplary member of the community and that is by upholding ourselves and leading the way on international law, human rights and diplomacy."
Stein has turned over hundreds of documents to the Senate Intelligence Committee but is holding back others, claiming it is in the name of protecting all Americans' civil liberties.
Stein ... has refused to hand over some documents from two of the six categories about which the committee inquired. One of those categories, according to a March letter from Stein’s lawyer to the committee’s bipartisan leadership, was for communications with “Russian persons,” while the other asked for “all communications related to the campaign’s policy discussions regarding Russia.” Both categories asked for documents dated from Feb. 6, 2015, when Stein announced her interest in making second presidential bid, to present.
(...)
Stein, who was initially expected to make the documents she turned over to the committee public, told BuzzFeed News she is “not planning” to do so.
Burr and Warner have not ruled out using their subpoena power to compel Stein to provide the documents she refused to hand over.
Jill Stein equates Russian election interference with US espionage (CNN)