Pompeo predicts Russia will be election threat for decades

Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoPompeo predicts Russia will be election threat for decades Pompeo defends US support for Saudis in Yemen as ‘in America’s best interest’ Pompeo says Maduro’s inner circle looking for exit strategy in Venezuela MORE said Monday he expects Russia will try to interfere in U.S. elections for decades to come, describing Moscow as having long presented a threat to American elections — not just in 2016.  

Pompeo told The Hill’s editor-in-chief Bob Cusack that “of course” the Russians continue to represent a threat to U.S. elections. But he dismissed the notion that the threat is somehow new or more severe following Moscow’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election as detailed in special counsel Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud choice of Mueller to lead Russia probe MORE’s report.

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“It goes without saying they were a threat to our elections in 1974, they interfered in our elections in the ’80s,” Pompeo said during an event at the Council on Foreign Relations hosted by The Hill’s Newsmaker Series.

“The fact that this town seemed shocked by the fact the Russians don’t care for us — in that case the Soviet Union — I find stunning,” Pompeo said, adding that books have recounted the Russian threat “over an extended period of time.”

“We should expect in 2050 the Russians will still be at it still,” Pompeo said at the event, which was sponsored by the Partnership for Open and Fair Skies.

Mueller’s redacted report detailed a two-pronged effort by Moscow to use hacked Democratic emails and social media to influence the 2016 vote in President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump hits Biden as he hits 2020 trail Trump blasts union chiefs after Biden gets key endorsement Grassley to Trump: Lift tariffs or new NAFTA deal is ‘dead’ MORE’s favor. Mueller concluded his investigation at the end of March, finding no conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Moscow despite multiple Russian efforts to contact the campaign.

Mueller’s report also detailed a willingness by some on the campaign to accept Russian help, including Donald Trump Jr.Donald (Don) John TrumpPompeo predicts Russia will be election threat for decades Pelosi should take a page from Tip O’Neill’s playbook Did Mueller peek at Trump’s tax returns? MORE’s acceptance of a meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer after being offered damaging information on 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonTrump blasts union chiefs after Biden gets key endorsement Pompeo predicts Russia will be election threat for decades The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden, Trump vie for Rust Belt voters MORE.

On Monday, Pompeo declined to comment on Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s statement that there is “nothing wrong” with getting information from foreigners during a campaign. He said he would let Giuliani speak for himself and stressed that everyone should be “cognizant” of the source of information they receive.

“We should all be cognizant about the sources of the information we receive. We should be cognizant when we receive dossiers to make sure that they are right, that we have validated information before we report on it,” Pompeo said, apparently making a passing reference to the so-called Steele dossier containing salacious and unverified allegations about Trump’s ties to Moscow.

Pompeo described the threat as much broader than Russia — coming from China, Iran and non-state actors whose cyber capabilities could impede not only U.S. elections but also the functioning of the nation’s infrastructure, including the financial system and telecommunications.

Pompeo said the Obama administration should have done more to prevent Russia’s interference and that the Trump administration has taken steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“We have the mission now to make sure this doesn’t happen,” Pompeo said.  

Over the course of his 22-month investigation, Mueller charged more than two-dozen Russians for the interference effort, which Moscow has systematically denied despite the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusions. Trump has seemed to begrudgingly accept the finding that Russia meddled in the election to tip the scales in his favor.

Trump regularly attacked Mueller’s probe as a “witch hunt” and has embraced its finding of no conspiracy between the campaign and Moscow. Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether the president obstructed the probe.