12 Russian Agents Indicted, Accused of Hacking the DNC

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced new charges against 12 Russian intelligence officers accused of hacking the Democratic National Committee, the Clinton presidential campaign, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Rosenstein said the Russians involved belonged to the military intelligence service GRU. They are accused of a sustained cyberattack against Democratic party targets, including its campaign committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign. The GRU attackers also targeted state election systems, including both government agencies and their vendors, and stole information about 500,000 American voters. The 11-count indictment includes charges of conspiracy by the Russian intelligence officials against the United States, money laundering and attempts to break into state boards of elections and other government agencies. The indictment is part of the special counsel’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. So far, Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s team has indicted 32 people, including members of a Russian company that blanketed social media with fake news stories and senior members of the Trump campaign.  The announcement came just a few days before President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland.