Washington, D.C. – A 2018 indictment by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) charged twelve Russian military intelligence officers (GRU) with conspiring to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, explicitly detailing their role in hacking and releasing damaging information related to Hillary Clinton's campaign. This action by "Trump's DOJ," as noted by writer James Surowiecki, directly contradicts the notion that Russian President Vladimir Putin "would have" released such information, as evidence shows it was indeed released.
The indictment, presented by the Special Counsel’s Office, accused the GRU officers of engaging in a sustained effort to hack into the computer networks of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton. These cyber operations involved spearphishing campaigns targeting individuals associated with Clinton's campaign, including its chairman.
Stolen data, including emails, was subsequently released on the internet through personas such as "DCLeaks" and "Guccifer 2.0." These releases occurred in the months leading up to the November 2016 election, impacting the political landscape by disseminating internal communications and documents. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that this interference aimed to harm Clinton's campaign and aid Donald Trump.
The GRU officers, identified as members of Units 26165 and 74455 of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate, were alleged to have used sophisticated methods, including malware and cryptocurrency, to facilitate their operations. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced the charges, emphasizing the intent to impact the election.
The indictment underscored the direct involvement of the Russian state in the dissemination of information perceived as damaging to the Clinton campaign. As James Surowiecki stated in a recent tweet, > "He did release damaging information about Hillary. That's why the DOJ - Trump's DOJ - indicted a dozen GRU officers." This perspective highlights the documented actions taken by Russian intelligence, which were later confirmed by U.S. federal charges.