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Leaked Chats Show Alleged Russian Spy Seeking Hacking Tools (securityweek.com)

wiredmikey writes: The leak of an alleged Russian hacker's conversations with a security researcher shows more about the shadowy group of 12 Russian spies indicted by the FBI for targeting the 2016 U.S. election. The researcher, who gave her exchanges with the alleged hacker to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said she wasn't pleased to learn she had been corresponding with an alleged Russian spy. But she wasn't particularly surprised either.

63 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Republicans don't care as long as their guy won by Train0987 · · Score: 1

    You made the assertion, burden of proof is on you.

  2. Reminder: This is not going away. by RyanFenton · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Every time a story like this comes up, a large number of folks raise objections to the very idea of investigating right-wing election issues.

    Well, this isn't going away. Benghazi investigations lasted for 3 years, with zero convictions or even serious cases. If you in any way accepted that process, you have ZERO legs to stand against on an investigation that had already lead to multiple convictions and guilty pleas, and is currently involved in a large number of major court cases, increasing constantly.

    And if push too hard to try and force it to stop, the protests will shut down this nation. They will be larger than anything we've ever seen.

    None of this is going away.

    Ryan Fenton

    1. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by harrkev · · Score: 1

      But is SHOULD go away because the Russians are on the "right" side now...

      Facebook just busted the Russians for supporting anti-Trump demonstrations.
      https://www.npr.org/2018/07/31...

      Also, during the 2016 election, the Russians backed Bernie...
      https://www.usatoday.com/story...

      This should be enough to prove the Russia is one of the "good guys" and should be left alone to meddle -- as long as they are on the right side.

      --
      "-1 Troll" is the apparently the same as "-1 I disagree with you."
    2. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by ArylAkamov · · Score: 1

      the protests will shut down this nation. They will be larger than anything we've ever seen.

      You mean a few dudes will show up in cringy masks, assault bystanders and tip over trash cans?

    3. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by quantaman · · Score: 2

      How is this a "right-wing" voting issue? Which party has always been against voter ID laws and removing the deceased from voter rolls?

      This about election hacking, both potential hacking of the actual apparatus used to conduct elections (voting machines, state governments, election vendors, etc) but also hacking of political actors in order to influence political outcomes.

      Whining about non-existent voter fraud that is really just a transparent pretext for voter suppression efforts is a different discussion.

      --
      I stole this Sig
    4. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by Train0987 · · Score: 2
    5. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by Nidi62 · · Score: 1

      Wow, AC's really suck at getting sarcasm. And voter ID is totally suppression of the working class who tend to work hourly jobs (very often hourly jobs) and therefore can't afford the time off that it takes to get ID.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    6. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by Nidi62 · · Score: 1

      If you buy beer/alcohol you do. Funny how wrong Trump is when he is completely correct.

      Well, he was in FL when he said that, and I would be willing to bet most of his supporters there have been drinking and smoking for so long that they might actually think you need an ID to go grocery shopping.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    7. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by bobbied · · Score: 1

      >

      None of this is going away.

      Ryan Fenton

      The rest of your mishmash is questionable, but your final assertion is 100% true. Special council investigations never end until the target of that investigation leaves office. They just keep going, sucking up resources and FBI labor hours until they become absolutely pointless.

      This investigation is not going away until Trump leaves office at Noon on January 20, 2025, maybe not even then depending on who replaces him.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    8. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by Nidi62 · · Score: 2

      Do you even read the articles you link to? The Democrats aren't complaining about dead people being removed, they are complaining that it removes people who haven't voted in a couple years. Programs such as this also tend to remove people only based on name/DOB and quite regularly purge people that should not be purged.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    9. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by Nidi62 · · Score: 1

      Isn't going away? You mean like the Clinton investigations?

      These leaked emails are so much more credible than the leaked emails against the Clintons.

      People should have been indicted on Benghazi, it was proven that we had assets in the area that could have stepped in and changed the entire outcome. But SOMEONE stopped them and it surely wasn't Trump....

      Me thinks you've been living under Obama's rock for too long.

      And once we have a Republican in the White House and running the DoJ we can finally get an investigation and Lock Her Up!. Oh....you mean Trump is......and Sessions is a.....hunh....

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    10. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      More water-muddying horseshit from the right. From the article:

      "In a dissenting opinion, Sotomayor said the ruling âoeignores the history of voter suppression against which the NVRA was enacted and upholds a program that appears to further the very disenfranchisement of minority and low-income voters that Congress set out to eradicate.

      A 2016 Reuters analysis found roughly twice the rate of voter purging in Democratic-leaning neighborhoods in Ohioâ(TM)s three largest counties as in Republican-leaning neighborhoods. "

      So, now tell my why, why would the Dems object to that? Oh, because it's bullshit, that's why. Another thinly-veiled attempt at voter suppression of poor and minority voters. Asshole.

    11. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      You can always show up and vote provisionally - even if not registered. If someone chooses not to vote for a few decades, they shouldn't be surprised to be dropped from the voting rolls...

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    12. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      Depends upon where you are... In CA - it's pretty much always. NO ONE would guess I am younger than 40, yet - by law - I am carded every time I enter a bar in San Francisco. Grey hair, grey whiskers, lines around the eyes, and a James Earl Jones-deep voice notwithstanding.

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    13. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      That same ID that is required for proof of ID when applying for a job (per the I-9 form that must be filled out)! I guess if you have no job, and live for free with others, and receive no Government benefits, you COULD live ID-free...

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    14. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      D and Rs are suck in mutually assured destruction.

      We should all be hoping for them to destroy each other, so we can get on with starting some honest political parties.

      Sessions is stopping this from happening, as he is an old school bible thumping R and is protecting his masters. Don't think for a second that Sessions wasn't imposed on Trump.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    15. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by danbert8 · · Score: 1

      So you do need ID to purchase things that are typically bought on a trip to the grocery store. Glad we settled that. Personally I have been carded for buying: Alcohol, toilet paper on sale, glue, paint, cans of air, certain medicines, and other things commonly found at grocery stores.

      Why is it that Trump's detractors have a problem with absolutes and subsets? Good people on both sides doesn't mean everyone on both sides was good. Criminals and rapists coming across the border does not mean that everyone crossing the border is a criminal or rapist. Requiring ID for groceries does not mean that all groceries require ID.

      I'm not even a Trump supporter. Stop making me defend this asshole!

      --
      Yes it's an anecdote! Were you expecting original research in a Slashdot comment?
    16. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by Train0987 · · Score: 1

      Yes I read it and this is the policy Democrats oppose:

      "Under Ohio’s policy, if registered voters miss voting for two years, they are sent registration confirmation notices. If they do not respond and do not vote over the following four years, they are purged."

      People who haven't voted on anything for 6+ YEARS and ignored notices 4 years prior to being purged...In other words, a lot of dead people.

      Claiming that policy is racist is disgusting. You can't be serious about securing our elections if you don't clean up the voter roles and confirm that people who vote are actually who they say they are. When states attempt to do that, however, the usual suspects come out of the woodwork calling the most vile names they can think of.

    17. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by Train0987 · · Score: 1

      That's why Radio Shack went bankrupt, remember? Too many of their customers didn't have an ID

    18. Re: Reminder: This is not going away. by houghi · · Score: 1

      The thing is that in the US a plea bargain does not mean you are guilty, just that you say you are. Those things are not the same.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    19. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by RespekMyAthorati · · Score: 1

      They just keep going, sucking up resources and FBI labor hours until they become absolutely pointless.

      Several guilty pleas and a half-dozen serious criminal charges is "pointless"?
      Only if you are terrified that the "Make Russia Great Again" president ends up in jail.

    20. Re:Reminder: This is not going away. by bobbied · · Score: 1

      They just keep going, sucking up resources and FBI labor hours until they become absolutely pointless.

      Several guilty pleas and a half-dozen serious criminal charges is "pointless"? Only if you are terrified that the "Make Russia Great Again" president ends up in jail.

      Guilty pleas where for lying to the FBI and for financial filings from 8 years before the election, which have nothing to do with Muller's mandate. The rest of the charges are for actual Russians and Russian entities, but zero Americans where involved.

      Mueller sure is being meticulous about this "investigation" and it doesn't seem to me he's finding much related to the actual election and Trump or his people. He's not done, but I'd start preparing to be disappointed if I had your view of the world because it sure doesn't look like charges have hit very close to your supposed target yet. You might get a few Scooter Libby's out of this, but I'm not seeing much evidence for anything more, at least on the republican side.

      On the democratic side though, there are some serious questions being raised, with actual DNC funding finding it's way into Russian hands under the guise of opposition research, not unlike what Don Jr's meeting was supposed to be about. Not to mention the handing of the dossier to the FBI to be used to justify wiretapping of Trump associates under FISA was very suspicious (and unethical by all involved). We know that (from Donna Brazil) the primaries where fixed and debate questions unfairly given to Hillary, which isn't illegal, but is unethical. Sanders got robed if you ask me.

      I bring all this up to say that you'd better be careful. Mueller could be a sharp knife that cuts both ways. You just *might* find that you don't like the results if and when he declares he's done and you might find that the wrong folks got caught in that investigation.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  3. Re:Russian spy? by ole_timer · · Score: 1

    uh...since the researcher may have knowledge that the spy doesn't...especially about zer0 days...

    --
    nothing to see here - move along
  4. Is anyone surprised? by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 2

    Is anyone surprised?

    The thing is, "Russian spy tries to spy" != "Trump is a Russian mole/dupe/partner/something, OMG lolz". Which is the implication we are apparently supposed to believe.

    1. Re:Is anyone surprised? by ole_timer · · Score: 1

      ...exactly...1 + 1 does not equal 6...

      --
      nothing to see here - move along
  5. False Flag by DatbeDank · · Score: 1

    Just like the hot 18/f/CA that used to hang out in all of those AOL chatrooms I'm willing to bet that it's a big fat hairy dude sitting behind a desk somewhere in Langley Virginia.

    1. Re:False Flag by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      He was Rusky for sure, he was looking for 'nuclear wessels'.

      BTW the guys fapping in lesbian chat rooms really are gay. There are no women there.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    2. Re:False Flag by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

      Just like the hot 18/f/CA that used to hang out in all of those AOL chatrooms I'm willing to bet that it's a big fat hairy dude sitting behind a desk somewhere in Langley Virginia.

      Hey, I'm not fat and hairy! I'm just... festively plump. ;)

      --
      Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  6. Re:Russian spy? by Train0987 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm sorry, Russia is a global superpower with unlimited financial and human resources devoted to spycraft and hacking. To suggest that an international spy is using public Twitter posts and emails to a random researchers asking for zero-day exploits is beyond absurd. It's comical to anyone who knows anything about intelligence agencies or tech security, but of course the target of this propaganda tends to be the lowest common denominator who will just believe anything.

  7. Re:Russian spy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Why wouldn't someone with unlimited resources have underlings look for low hanging fruit?

  8. Re:Republicans don't care as long as their guy won by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

    Rule also applies in debate.

    Doesn't apply when trolling though, so you're good.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  9. Re:Russian spy? by Train0987 · · Score: 1

    Because of how easily traceable it is.

  10. Re:Russian spy? by ole_timer · · Score: 1

    you go right on believing that...why do think all the vendors have bug reward programs?

    --
    nothing to see here - move along
  11. Re:Russian spy? by Train0987 · · Score: 1

    Has it occurred to you that those bugs were introduced/engineered by state-sponsored intelligence agencies in the first place? The GRU has their own zero-days.

  12. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by Train0987 · · Score: 1

    It's more plausible that you're the Russian spy sent here to make Democrats look like imbeciles.

  13. Re:Russian spy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Russia is a global superpower? hahahaha good one!

  14. Huh? by Kludge · · Score: 2

    Because the NSA never taps the expertise of researchers outside of their own walls? That is preposterous.

    Exploits are like any other commodity. You go to the people who have them, regardless of who they are.

  15. Re:Russian spy? by Nidi62 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's comical to anyone who knows anything about intelligence agencies or tech security,

    Intelligence agencies or other covert operations quite often will try to use technology or equipment not sourced internally in order to hide who they are really working for and to provide deniability. Anyone who knows anything about intelligence agencies would know this.

    --
    The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  16. The country needs a new boogeyman by ArchieBunker · · Score: 1

    Ever since 9/11 the country needed a new boogeyman to be scared of. We had the Taliban, then Saddam, then pedophiles, then ISIS, now it happens to be Russia. Trump used social media to get elected just like Obama did and now shit got real because the DNC gambled on Hillary and lost. I'm not a Democrat but I respect Bernie a hell of a lot more than Hillary.

    --
    Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
    1. Re:The country needs a new boogeyman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      This isn't simply about the West, Russia has been doing this for over a decade, they first really kicked this kind of thing off in Ukraine in the 2004, when they tried to poison one of the candidates.

      They since continued doing this in places like Georgia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Armenia, and so forth.

      In by 2010 they were beginning to use the financial crisis to stir in countries like Greece, Hungary, Romania, Malta and so forth.

      All that's changed is that they've now moved onto the big fish. They've been found to be complicit in Brexit, there's evidence they interfered in the US presidential election in 2016, but we also know they've been funding the far right across Europe, for example providing funding to France's NF, attacking Macron's election campaign, funding the AfD in Germany and so on and so forth, hell, it's not even a secret:

      https://themoscowtimes.com/art...

      If you think this is just about a boogeyman for the US then you're about 10 million miles wide of what's actually going on. This isn't a US centric issue, this is a resurgent Russia undermining the West to further it's goals of reclaiming control of large parts of Eastern Europe by attempting to destroy Western unity through crippling of the EU by creating Russia backed veto states, damaging NATO, and causing general economic harm to Western nations through triggering of trade wars and so on and so forth.

      The West stupidly thought that when the USSR fell at the start of the 90s, that that was it - the cold war was over. They naively failed to realise that Russia never conceded defeat, and has never stopped fighting the war. Now we're on the back foot because they've spent 20 years building up their attack infrastructure for information warfare whilst we naively believed it was all calm and peaceful, and that the biggest threat to our way of life was a few angry nomads in Afghanistan, or China making knock off copies of our iPads.

      Do not fall into the trap of believing this is just sour grapes over Hillary - if it was just that then what would be the relevance of the Europe side of the equation? How would the Democrats have manufactured time travel to create evidence of meddling in Western elections and nations from before Trump was even a candidate? I'm pretty sure the Dems aren't capable of sending Europe's far right back in time to attend a far right convention, and to provide funding for France's NF.

      The world is bigger than America, and Russia is more than just sour grapes, it's a real actual problem whose harmful reach is felt throughout many places outside of America.

  17. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by ArchieBunker · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Russia didn't hack the election. They hacked DNC emails and bought Facebook ads. Funny how Facebook was alright in taking that money until Hillary lost.

    --
    Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
  18. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by Sique · · Score: 1

    Maybe it's because FBI, CIA and Congressial Republicans all agree that there has been a Russian collusion during the election. And when Donald Trump, after meeting Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, first denied it, he backtracked the day after and admitted that there has been a strong Russian influence on the election.

    --
    .sig: Sique *sigh*
  19. Re:Russian spy? by Train0987 · · Score: 1

    Not publicly in an easily-traceable manner. Unless of course they're trying to make it look like another country is doing it...

  20. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by Darinbob · · Score: 1

    The Russians did try to influence the election, and has very solid evidence behind it. This says nothing bad whatsoever about Trump or that he colluded with them. However, by refusing to acknowledge the evidence and continually denying that Russia did anything does look bad for Trump, it makes him look like an ego-driven child. Worse, when Trump tries to hinder the investigation it hurts him legally. It's in Trump's own best interests to acknowlege the Russian issue is a real thing.

  21. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by Train0987 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    The Clinton campaign was spending over $1 million per month in paid astrotrufing services. Correct the Record, Media Matters, etc, exist for the sole purpose of trolling online. They were celebrated for it.

  22. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by Train0987 · · Score: 1

    It's always been a setup. The establishment has framed this from the beginning as Trump working with the Russians to steal the election, not the simple meddling that's always taken place.

  23. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1

    Not if you've seen social media in the past 2 years. It's probably a genuine post.

    --

    Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
  24. Re:Republicans don't care as long as their guy won by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 2

    He wasn't their guy. You are wrong.

    --
    Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
  25. Re:Russian spy? by novakyu · · Score: 1

    If I had any mod points, I would mod this up. But since my return to Slashdot since the early days (mid-2000s), I never seem to get any mod points, despite my karma levels (and now that I have posted, it's a moot point, anyway).

  26. Re:Russian spy? by ole_timer · · Score: 1

    the zer0 day bugs were overwhelmingly introduced by the moronic s/w engineers who built the apps...

    --
    nothing to see here - move along
  27. Re:Russian spy? by najajomo · · Score: 1

    @Train0987: ‘Since when does a state-sponsored spy need to troll a researcher for hacking tools? This exchange is pretty strong evidence that the person is not a sanctioned "spy".’

    And that story being entirely bogus. That story is pitched at the level of the average Faux News viewer, which the editors of slashdot seem to have us confused with.

  28. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by AvitarX · · Score: 1

    Are you saying there is no action to be taken between two nations between 'cut it out!' and going to war?

    --
    Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
  29. Re:Republicans don't care as long as their guy won by ISayWeOnlyToBePolite · · Score: 1

    You made the assertion, burden of proof is on you.

    Poll shows that 40% of republicans believe that Russians helping republicans keep control of Congress is either appropriate or not a big deal.
    For the 2016 presidential election the figure is 33%.
    https://finance.yahoo.com/news...

  30. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by bobbied · · Score: 1

    You mean like financial sanctions on them by us and our allies... Check, we've done that.

    Expelling diplomats.. Check, Done that too..

    Discussing the Issue between heads of state... Check, Even that we've done since 2016...

    Yet here we go again...

    I'm saying that what can you do to stop them if they refuse to comply with your laws when you ask them to? Military force, or at least the credible threat of it is pretty much where we are at this point. How bad do you want it to stop? THAT bad?

    You see, that's really the question. How far are you willing to go to make them stop. They seem willing to endure pretty much everything we've done so far and short of risking an open military conflict I'm not sure what other pressure we can bring to bear.

    You have any new ideas?

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  31. Re:Russian spy? by datavirtue · · Score: 1

    Story is an eye roll just from the headline. Move on.

    --
    I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
  32. Pence would be worse by BrianMarshall · · Score: 1

    If Trump is impeached, Mike Pence will become POTUS. The man is a crazy Christian (capital punishment for abortion, anyone?), and he might have the skills necessary to be effective. Trump's lack of political skill is the best thing about him.

    --
    "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro" -- HST
  33. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by AvitarX · · Score: 1

    I'd like to see Congress backed sanctions, which is pretty much where we are (I think).

    --
    Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
  34. Random guy on Twitter/blog posts is not a "spy" by guruevi · · Score: 1

    This person contacted her over a 'blog post' and posted to Twitter to find information on a CVE.

    That is a script-kiddie, wannabe hacker teenager. A true spy, hell, even a halfway decent 'professional' knows where to find CVE descriptions and based on those descriptions, they can write their own exploits.

    --
    Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
  35. No collusion! by Layzej · · Score: 1

    Plus, Russia didn't meddle, and if they did, it wasn't to help Trump, and if it was, it didn't work, but either way there was no collusion and collusion isn't a crime anyway.

  36. Why the GRU story? by AHuxley · · Score: 1

    The US seems fixated with the GRU in all the stories about spying globally.
    The GRU did try to spy once in the UK and totally lost a well placed spy in the 1070's.
    After that it was better felt to let the real spy experts in the Soviet Union and Russia look after international spying.

    Now the West is to enjoy a story about the GRU that is back doing advanced cyber spying but it cant spy and needs help. When it can spy it got deep into US networks and was never found due to skills. Then went back to needing random help again in chats again?
    Stories about been able to stay deep in US networks extracting vast amounts of data with amazing skills using advanced code? Then going back to needing help in chat online?
    Spying that has a person no skills in chat and then super skills all over the "internet"?

    With the "a military base in the heart of Moscow" with "manicured lawns, flower beds"? And "a district outside Moscow"? "Cross-country skiing"? "emerald waters"? Left around as a story to find?

    The US media then getting told of US investigative methods in real time? The US media talking US results in real time?
    When did the USA ever let any of its real investigative methods and real results get talked about? 30 to 60 years later.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  37. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The Russian "sharp force" campaign was not necessarily to get Trump the presidency. They hacked both the Democrats and the Republicans. There were attempts made towards the Bernie Sanders campaign as well. They just didn't go anywhere. The main point is to destabilize our democracy. Right now 57% of young adults do not see the Trump presidency as legitimate. They didn't need to help Trump win only to make it look like they did to have an effect. The danger is not in helping conservatives or liberals. They will help whatever side they need to to create confusion and force people to question the legitimacy of authority in the government. Take for instance the protest rally's set up by Russian operatives where they have set up rallies for violently opposing groups in order to facilitate hostility. As they work the system they will only get better, and next election it may not be the Republicans they decide needs to be in power. It may be more to their liking that an extremely liberal Democrat needs to be in office in order to foment disorder, and maybe next time they will be good enough to make a difference. Make no mistake, the Russians are not on your side.

  38. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by piers_downunder · · Score: 1

    You're arguing semantics. They certainly hacked to attempt to sway an election. Russian hackers with state-funded resources under direct orders from Putin, broke into the DNC server and selectively leaked information in order to sway the election towards their preferred candidate. This is the conclusion of numerous government agencies both in the US and abroad who have no obvious reason to deceive the public on this.

    The only people who disagree with this assessment apart from Russia is Trump himself, presumably because it detracts from the prestige of his glorious electoral victory. The fact he has refused to challenge Putin on this, tried to delay or dismiss retaliatory sanctions against Russia or even publicly acknowledge this without walking it back soon after, suggests he is somewhat complicit or at least acquiesces to Russian interference in US democracy.

  39. Re:How long will /. push this nonsense narrative?! by eaglesrule · · Score: 1

    [Russia] hacked DNC emails

    So we're continuously told by those with an obvious conflict of interest, against a mounting pile of evidence to the contrary.