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The US Has Officially Accused Russia of the DNC Hack

"We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities."
Photo by ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/AFP/Getty Images

On Friday, US government officials said they were "confident" Russia was behind the Democratic National Convention hack, which was an attempt to sway the 2016 election, the Washington Postreports.

"The recent disclosures of alleged hacked emails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts," reads a statement jointly issued by the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Speculation about Russian involvement in the cybersecurity breaches has been going on for a while now. In June, the DNC's own investigation into its hack—one that ultimately led to the resignation of DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz—named Russian government hackers responsible, but this is the first time the Obama administration has publicly blamed Russia—and by extension Vladimir Putin.

"We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities," Friday's statement read.

Trump, for his part, hasn't been particularly eager to admit that Russia was behind the hacks. "It could be Russia, but it could be China, could also be lots of other people," he said during the first presidential debate. "It could be someone sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds."

Read: A Cybersecurity Expert Told Us What the DNC Hack Means for the Future of Democracy