Three chiefs assert Russia was behind election hacking — a conclusion Trump has refused to accept

WASHINGTON: Only Russia’s most senior officials could have authorised the data theft and disclosures that took place during the 2016 election campaign, according to three top US intelligence officials, disputing scepticism by President-elect Donald Trump that the government has proof in holding Russia responsible for the hacks.

In a joint statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Marcel Lettre and National Security Agency Director Admiral Michael Rogers said they stood by the intelligence community’s October 7 finding that Russia interfered with US political institutions last year. The three officials testified on Thursday at a committee hearing on foreign cyber threats. Rogers is a finalist for Trump’s pick for the director of national intelligence.

At the hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Chairman John McCain called Russia’s hacking an "unprecedented attack" on US democracy. Alluding to criticism of the hacking accusations by Trump, the Arizona Republican said the goal isn’t to question the outcome of the presidential election, but he said "every American should be alarmed" by Russia’s attack. Russia "poses a major threat" to US government, military, diplomatic, commercial and critical infrastructure networks, the intelligence officials said in their statement.

They also said the country has developed a "highly advanced offensive cyber program".