Assange’s Claims on DNC Hack Have ‘No Credibility,’ Say Intel Chiefs
As the world seeks to understand the alleged Russian hacking that rattled last year’s election, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange threw a spanner into the investigation, saying earlier this week that Russia wasn’t the source of Democratic Party emails that his secret-spilling group published—a claim then amplified in a tweet from president-elect Donald Trump. But America’s top spies have made clear that no statement from Assange, even one backed by the next president, will sway their finding that the Kremlin is behind those political attacks.
Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who has called for a severe retaliation against Russia in response to those attacks, took the opportunity in a hearing Thursday to ask American intelligence officials to rebutt Assange’s claim. “Do you think there’s any credibility we should attach this individual given his record?” McCain asked Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.
“Not in my view,” Clapper answered. “I would second those comments,” added NSA director Michael Rogers.
