Senior Democrats ask FBI to investigate possible Trump link to cyberattacks
Several House Democrats have asked the FBI to investigate whether there is any link between Donald Trump's campaign aides' connections to Russian interests and the recent cyberattacks directed at the Democratic National Committee.
Representatives Elijah E. Cummings, ranking member on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, John Conyers Jr., on the House Judiciary Committee, Eliot L. Engel on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Bennie G. Thompson on the Homeland Security Committee penned the note.
Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign was hacked in late July hot on the heels of hacks at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the campaign arm for House Democrats.
SEE ALSO: FBI investigating possible voter database hacks in two states“We are writing to request that the FBI assess whether connections between Trump campaign officials and Russian interests may have contributed to these attacks in order to interfere with the U.S. presidential election,” the letter to FBI Director James Comey says.
"Serious questions have been raised about overt and covert actions by Trump campaign officials on behalf of Russian interests."
"Serious questions have been raised about overt and covert actions by Trump campaign officials on behalf of Russian interests," it continues. "It is critical for the American public to know whether those actions may have directly caused or indirectly motivated attacks against the Democratic institutions and our fundamental election process."
The letter mentions Wikileak's involvement in the hack, Trump's favorable comments about Vladimir Putin and his calls for Russia to find Clinton's missing emails
It also references Trump adviser Roger Stone's admission that he had been in contact with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and talked about an "October surprise," and the fact that Trump's foreign policy adviser traveled to Moscow and gave a speech critical of the U.S.
Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman who was found to have ties to a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine, is also featured.
"We do not know if Donald Trump's public statements or the connections of his campaign officials to Russian interests directly or indirectly led to the cyberattacks against Democratic party organizations but there is widespread agreement that the United States should take all steps possible to prevent Russia from interfering in our electoral process," the letter adds.
Mashablehas reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.