Russian interference did not influence poll results, say US spymasters

The alleged Russian interference into the last year’s US presidential elections did not influence the poll results, two top American spymasters said on Monday.

Admiral Michael Rogers, Director of the National Security Agency and Commander of US Cyber Command, and FBI Director James Comey told this to the powerful House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, responding to questions from lawmakers whether the alleged Russian interference impacted the results of the presidential elections.

“I have nothing generated by the national security industry, sir,” Rogers said as Congressman David Nunes, Chairman of the powerful Congressional committee, asked if he has any intelligence that suggests Russia cyber actors changed vote tallies.

Nunes asked same question to Comey to which he responded in the negative.

Nunes and other lawmakers alleged that Russia tried to interfere in the general elections.

Though there is no evidence of Russian interference influencing election results, Comey said Russian President Vladimir Putin hated the Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton so much that the flipside of that coin was he had a clear preference for the person running against the person he hated so much.

Also read: No evidence of collusion between Trump campaign and Russia, says House Intelligence chairman

Logically, Putin wanted Clinton to lose the general elections, he said.

“The assessment of the intelligence committee was, as the summer went on and the polls appeared to show that Secretary Clinton was gonna win, the Russians sort of gave up and simply focused on trying to undermine her, its your Red Raiders, you know they’re not gonna win,” he said.

Comey said he is not prepared to comment about the particular campaigns but the Russians in general are always trying to understand who the future leaders might be and what levers of influence there might be on them.