Kamala Harris Said to Me: Dear Mr. Vanderlaan, Thank you for taking the time to contact me about Russian interference in our 2016 presidential election. I share your deep concern about Russia’s effort to undermine our democratic process and interfere in our election.

Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy and must be vigorously protected. On January 6, 2017, a report drafted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Security Agency (NSA) concluded that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at our presidential election. According to this report, Russia’s goal was to undermine public faith in our democratic process, boost the prospects for electing President Trump, and discredit Trump’s opponent. The fact that Russia interfered in a U.S. presidential election was later corroborated by separate investigations conducted by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, of which I am a member. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, in particular, found that the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump and worked to influence the election in his favor. Furthermore, despite security improvements since 2016, U.S. election infrastructure remains vulnerable to potential interference in the upcoming 2020 elections. In April 2019, Special Counsel Robert Mueller released his report, which found several instances of potential collusion with a foreign government, and did not definitely clear President Trump of obstructing justice. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again here—the Special Counsel’s report is essentially an impeachment referral to Congress. It’s now Congress’s responsibility to hold this president and this administration accountable. As your Senator, I will continue to work to shed light on what happened in the lead up to the 2016 presidential election, and ensure that future U.S. elections are safeguarded against attacks. Thank you again for writing about this issue of great importance and concern. If you have additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3553.  Sincerely, Kamala D. Harris United States Senator