December 14, 2016

NY Times: Ben Ray Luján among those targeted by Russian hackers

Congressman Ben Ray Luján had his emails hacked by those with ties to Russians, according to a report in the New York Times. Luján was the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, an organization that seeks to elect more Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives. The DCCC was the target of the hacking […]

Matthew Reichbach

Congressman Ben Ray Luján had his emails hacked by those with ties to Russians, according to a report in the New York Times.

Luján was the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, an organization that seeks to elect more Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives.

The DCCC was the target of the hacking incident, which was similar to the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Media reports have also said that the Republican National Committee saw its emails hacked, though the organization has denied this.

The DCCC acknowledged it was hacked in July of this year.

The hacker known as Guccifer 2.0, claimed to have no ties to the Russian government. Researchers and others, including those in U.S. intelligence, say evidence shows the hacking came from Russia.

Earlier, Luján even sent a letter to the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, the Republican counterpart to Luján’s DCCC, saying if the Republican group used the documents from the hacking, “the NRCC will be complicit in aiding the Russian government in itse effort to influence American elections.”

The New York Times also reported House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Cali., sent a similar letter to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wisc.

In both instances, the Republicans did not answer the letters.

In recent weeks, Democrats have called for congressional investigations into the scope of foreign influence on elections, especially the presidential election.