Allan Lichtman

[Commentary] The media is rigging this election in favor of Donald Trump by swallowing hook, line and sinker Russia's efforts to boost his campaign. The media continuously reports on hacked e-mails that intelligence officials with a high degree of certainly have traced to Russian hackers. Conveniently, Trump has failed to recognize this reality despite his penchant for truly absurd conspiracy theories such as Muslims in New Jersey cheering the 9/11 terrorist attacks or Sen Ted Cruz's (R-TX) father being part of the plot to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. This hacking represents a blatant and unprecedented effort by a hostile foreign power to influence the outcome of an American presidential election. The hacking is also a serious violation of American law. Under the federal Stored Communication Act, it is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison to hack into a private e-mail server.

So far, leakers linked to the Russians have released tens of thousands of Democratic documents and zero Republican documents. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out whom the Russians are attempting to elect in 2016. The media's complicity in Russian hacking tilts the playing field in favor of Trump because we have no Republican documents to compare with the material contained in the hacked Democratic e-mails, which may or may not have been doctored. It also threatens the long-term health of our democracy. By selectively leaking illegally obtained documents that the media dutifully covers, the Russians have proven that they have nothing to lose and everything to gain from such meddling in our elections.

[Lichtman is distinguished professor of history at American University in Washington.]