NSA report says Russia tried to hack U.S. vote totals

A leaked classified National Security Agency (NSA) document asserts Russian officials hacked at least one U.S. voting software supplier days before Election Day—directly contradicting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements. The website The Intercept published a story Monday based on a report dated May 5, 2017, that it said it received from an anonymous U.S. intelligence officer. The document accuses the Kremlin of ordering spear-phishing emails to more than 100 local election officials shortly before voters cast their ballots. There is no evidence showing Russian hackers were successful, but the document indicates direct Russian attempts to adjust voting totals. This revelation challenges Putin’s denial last week that Russia attempted to interfere in the U.S. presidential election: “We never engaged in that on a state level and have no intention of doing so.” The Intercept story did not reveal who leaked the top-secret document, but investigators already have a prime suspect. Law enforcement officials arrested Reality Leigh Winner, 25, a contractor with Pluribus International Corporation who had worked at a Georgia NSA facility since February. According to an FBI affidavit in support of Winner’s arrest, she was one of six people to print the document. Investigators then discovered email exchanges with The Intercept on Winner’s computer.

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