Official Testifies Homeland Security Has Evidence Russia Targeted Election Systems in 21 States (Video)

But We Don’t Know if Vote Tallies Were Hacked

Despite the White House Press Secretary not knowing whether or not the President of the United States believes Russia interfered in the U.S. election, America’s intelligence agencies continue to investigate the extent to which Vladimir Putin attacked America. All 17 agencies unanimously agree that under Vladimir Putin’s direction, Russia interfered in the U.S. election. 

Wednesday morning, testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee, a Dept. Of Homeland Security official just announced Russian hacker targeted election systems in 21 different states – possibly half the country, depending on which states. 

“As of right now we have evidence of 21 states, election-related systems in 21 states, that were targeted,” Jeanette Manfra told the House Intelligence Committee. Manfra is listed as the Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications (acting) on the DHS website. According to the leadership list she is the 12th highest ranking official at Homeland Security.

Manfra was responding to a question from Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC). He also asked her to agree that “in no case were vote tallies altered in any way, shape, or form.”

“That is correct,” Manfra responded.

Actually, that is not correct. The DHS even admits it.

“The Department of Homeland Security insists that no one hacked actual votes—but admits it never ran an audit to check,” The Daily Beast reported on Tuesday. 

Despite assurances from the U.S. intelligence community that Russian hacking only influenced the 2016 U.S. election—and didn’t change vote tallies—there was never actually a formal federal audit of those systems, the Department of Homeland Security said.

And while DHS offered free security scans to any state that wanted them, many states—even ones that took up the DHS offer, like Michigan and Maine—either use audit procedures that are considered inadequate or don’t audit their election results at all.

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