Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images(MOSCOW) — The Kremlin is denying reports from the CIA that it used hacking to interfere with the 2016 election to help Republican Donald Trump win the presidency.
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary to Russian President Vladimir Putin, referred to the allegation in a conference call with reporters as an “absolutely unfounded, unprofessional, unqualified statement and accusation which has nothing to do with reality,” according to Russian state media.
“Again and again in various media outlets there is such information, many high-ranking representatives of the U.S. and UK come out with such statements. And with an enviable constancy, none of these completely unsubstantiated allegations are … supported by at least some information, I’m not even talking about evidence,” Peskov said, according to the Interfax news agency.
The Washington Post reported late Friday that a secret CIA assessment found that Russia tried to interfere in the 2016 election to help Trump and was involved in hacking into the emails of John Podesta, campaign chairman for Democrat Hillary Clinton, as well as of the Democratic National Committee.
President Obama on Friday ordered a “full review” of what the intelligence committee has referred to as Russian hacking. He is expected to receive the report, which will date back to 2008, before he leaves office.
Trump and his team are pushing back on these reports.
Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.