GOP electors should demand intel briefing on Russian hacking, too

The CIA, the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence now agree that Russia engaged in aggressive covert action to affect the presidential election and hoped to achieve the election of Donald Trump as president and commander in chief by doing so.

Every Republican elector should join the large and growing number of electors who have called for a full intelligence briefing about the extent and purpose of Russian attacks on American democracy, Russia’s interference in the recently concluded presidential campaign and Russia’s desire to elect Trump on Election Day.

A large and growing number of Electoral College electors have already called on Obama administration intelligence officials to provide them with an intelligence briefing about the Russian role in the election.

{mosads}However, it is inexcusable that most GOP electors have not joined them.

GOP electors should be asked by the media and voters in their states: Do you care if the Russians engaged in espionage for the purpose of electing Trump?

How can you not care if Russia engaged in and comprehensive and aggressive espionage to undermine the integrity of the election and elect Russia’s favorite candidate?

Do you not believe it is important for electors to know, before deciding who should be our president and commander in chief, whether Russia attempted to influence, and succeeded in influencing, the election of America’s next leader?

It is a profound moment in American political history that now the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence have joined the CIA in concluding that the purpose of this Russian covert action was to elect Trump as president.

This was clear to me, and most rational observers, long ago. Why else would Russia engage in aggressive covert action against the Democratic nominee and Democratic Party organizations, and act to disseminate both negative information and disinformation attacking only Hillary Clinton and Democrats and not Trump and Republicans?

There are now some Republicans who seem to praise or validate the actions of Julian Assange of Wikileaks. Do Republican electors, and Republican politicians, want their party to be aligned with Assange and their electors to be uninterested in whether Russian dictator Vladimir Putin engaged in criminal espionage to help Trump become president?

GOP electors, and GOP politicians, should be as interested as Democrats in finding the truth about the Russian cyber invasion against our democracy, which is the moral equivalent of an act of war against America.

My point is not partisan. In a recent piece for The Hill, I discussed how the attacks against our democracy by Putin humiliated Obama, manipulated Trump but motivated Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to action.

Today, I repeat my condemnation of the weak and vacillating manner in which President Obama failed to address and combat this Russian covert action, how Trump refuses to even acknowledge that these Russian attacks against our democracy even occurred, and why McCain deserves a standing ovation from all Americans for taking a clear, decisive and patriotic stand against Putin.

Despite the fact that Obama was again weak about Russia in his Friday press conference — which will further infuriate many Democrats over his inadequate response to Russia — and despite the fact that Obama shamefully continues to refuse to order an intelligence briefing for the electors, which was repeated on Friday, the electors should demand it.

Every Republican elector should join Democratic electors in forcefully seeking a full intelligence briefing about Russian covert action against our elections.

The Electoral College should delay its decision until these briefings occur and the truth is known about Russian attacks against Hillary Clinton and American democracy.

Brent Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Chief Deputy Majority Whip Bill Alexander (D-Ark.). He holds an LL.M. degree in international financial law from the London School of Economics. Contact him at brentbbi@webtv.net.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.