8. Evidence “very strong” for Russia’s hack of the DNC, January 3, 2017. This story probably should have been #1 on this list, as one reader points out. The initial Intelligence Community Assessment of Russian electoral interference, published in January of 2017, was unequivocal when it came to assigning blame for the hack of the Democratic National Committee, writing:
In July 2015, Russian intelligence gained access to Democratic National Committee (DNC) networks and maintained that access until at least June 2016.
Politicians and intelligence officials tended to use this same language for years (although Barack Obama used the term “not conclusive” just before he left office). This is from an interview California congressman Adam Schiff gave to NPR just a few days before the release of the ICA:
SCHIFF: Well, the evidence is very, very strong, and I think this is the consensus of the Democrats and Republicans on the Intelligence Committees. You know, we view, obviously, a variety of intelligence, different sources, different methods of gathering it, and none of us have a question really about Russia's involvement in the hacking of our institutions and the dumping of data.
Years later, however, we learned that the company charged with doing this analysis had no such evidence. Shawn Henry of Crowdstrike, testifying in secret to congress, has this exchange with none other than Schiff, saying there was not “concrete evidence that data was exfiltrated from the DNC,” never mind by whom:
Henry went on to dump all over several sacred cows of Russia reporting, saying, “we just don’t have the evidence that says [data] actually left.” Utah congressman Chris Stewart appeared dumbfounded, asking Henry if the lack of concrete evidence covered the “emails that, you know, everyone is so knowledgeable of”:
taibbi.substack.com
In July 2015, Russian intelligence gained access to Democratic National Committee (DNC) networks and maintained that access until at least June 2016.
Politicians and intelligence officials tended to use this same language for years (although Barack Obama used the term “not conclusive” just before he left office). This is from an interview California congressman Adam Schiff gave to NPR just a few days before the release of the ICA:
SCHIFF: Well, the evidence is very, very strong, and I think this is the consensus of the Democrats and Republicans on the Intelligence Committees. You know, we view, obviously, a variety of intelligence, different sources, different methods of gathering it, and none of us have a question really about Russia's involvement in the hacking of our institutions and the dumping of data.
Years later, however, we learned that the company charged with doing this analysis had no such evidence. Shawn Henry of Crowdstrike, testifying in secret to congress, has this exchange with none other than Schiff, saying there was not “concrete evidence that data was exfiltrated from the DNC,” never mind by whom:
Henry went on to dump all over several sacred cows of Russia reporting, saying, “we just don’t have the evidence that says [data] actually left.” Utah congressman Chris Stewart appeared dumbfounded, asking Henry if the lack of concrete evidence covered the “emails that, you know, everyone is so knowledgeable of”:
Master List Of Official Russia Claims That Proved To Be Bogus
The Director of National Intelligence releases a report, and the press rushes to kick the football again.
taibbi.substack.com