Obama orders investigation into Russian hacking

President Barack Obama has ordered an intelligence report on Russian hacking during the presidential campaign, the White House said today. Earlier this week, Obama instructed the intelligence community to conduct a “full review” of possible cyberattacks amid concerns about Russia meddling in U.S. elections. Intelligence officials accused Russia of hacking into the email accounts of Democratic Party officials and Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager prior to the election in an effort to disrupt the process. White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the order is “not an effort to challenge the outcome of the election,” but instead to improve U.S. defense against cyberattacks. Russia has denied claims of hacking and called for evidence of its involvement. The report will be provided to Congress, but may not be made public, said Lisa Monaco, the White House counterterrorism and homeland security adviser. Obama said he wants the report before he leaves office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.