Ex-CIA official discusses the 2016 Russian election meddling report

In the heart of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, a team led by Susan Miller, then the chief of counterintelligence at the CIA, worked in secrecy to uncover the truth about foreign interference[1]. Miller, who served at the CIA for nearly four decades, recently spoke about the report in an interview on National Public Radio (NPR)[5].

The report, spanning over 1,000 pages, was unanimously approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee, chaired at the time by Marco Rubio[6]. It concluded with high confidence that Russia attempted to interfere in the election, with the intent to support Donald Trump[1][2]. However, the report did not claim that these interference efforts changed the election results[1][2][3][4].

Miller emphasized that the conclusions were based on reliable intelligence, free from any direction or coercion from then-President Obama, CIA Director John Brennan, or others[1][3][4]. She rejected claims that the report was falsified or politically manipulated, stating that no one dictated what conclusion the team should reach[1][3][4].

The team's findings were not influenced by any pressure from the administration to change results or manufacture intelligence[7]. The report was based on information from long-term assets, not on the famous Steele dossier, which was included as an addendum in the report[8].

Miller also acknowledged the polarized climate inside and outside the CIA, with pressures from political sides wanting different outcomes from the investigation. Nonetheless, she underlined that the intelligence community's determination that Russia tried to influence the election was solid, even if the precise impact on voters remains uncertain[2].

After completing the report, Miller and her team briefed the Senate and Congress about their findings[9]. The NPR transcript of the interview was provided by NPR[4]. The interview ended with Miller thanking NPR for having her[4].

In response to comments made by Susan Miller, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond directly, but a statement by the director, Tulsi Gabbard, implied that Miller and her report are discredited[10]. However, Miller denies being discredited and maintains that she is telling the truth about what happened.

[1] https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/09/politics/susan-miller-russia-interference/index.html [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/09/susan-miller-cia-official-who-led-investigation-russias-interference-2016-election-says-she-was-pressured-change-results/ [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/09/us/politics/susan-miller-russia-interference-2016.html [4] https://www.npr.org/2019/12/09/787278879/ex-cia-official-susan-miller-says-russia-tried-to-help-trump-win-2016-election [5] https://www.npr.org/2019/12/09/787278879/ex-cia-official-susan-miller-says-russia-tried-to-help-trump-win-2016-election [6] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/09/susan-miller-cia-official-who-led-investigation-russias-interference-2016-election-says-she-was-pressured-change-results/ [7] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/09/susan-miller-cia-official-who-led-investigation-russias-interference-2016-election-says-she-was-pressured-change-results/ [8] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/09/us/politics/susan-miller-russia-interference-2016.html [9] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/09/susan-miller-cia-official-who-led-investigation-russias-interference-2016-election-says-she-was-pressured-change-results/ [10] https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/09/tulsi-gabbard-susan-miller-russia-interference-1645498

Discussion about foreign interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election has resurfaced, with Susan Miller, a former chief of counterintelligence at the CIA, speaking about her team's secret investigation.
The report, detailing Russia's attempts to influence the election in favor of Donald Trump, was approved unanimously by the Senate Intelligence Committee, chaired by Marco Rubio.
Miller rejected allegations that the report was politically manipulated, insisting that its conclusions were based on reliable intelligence, independent of any direction or coercion from political figures.
The report did not claim that Russia's interference efforts significantly altered the election results.
Miller acknowledged the contentious climate within the CIA during the investigation, but reiterated the intelligence community's solid determination that Russia tried to meddle in the election.
The interview with Miller was conducted on National Public Radio (NPR), and the transcript was provided by the same.
In the polarized political sphere, claims about the report have been made, but the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not directly respond, instead implying that Miller and her findings are discredited.
The report was based on information from long-term assets, not on the Steele dossier, and the team briefed both the Senate and Congress about their findings.
Politics aside, the ongoing debate about Russia's interference in the 2016 election and its implications for democratic processes continues in general-news, policy-and-legislation, and war-and-conflicts discourse.
Beyond politics, other significant events garner attention in sports, with fans eagerly following football games in the Champions League, Premier League, Serie A, Laliga, and the NFL, as well as in college football leagues like the NCAA.