WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, released the following statement today in response to the announcement that President Obama has ordered a review of Russia’s involvement in the U.S. election:

“I am pleased to see the President take this step and welcome the growing number of concerned voices – on both sides of the aisle – about Russia’s attempts to interfere with our electoral process. The Russian government’s activities are nothing less than an arrow aimed at the heart of our democracy, and their actions merit a full, thorough, and bipartisan investigation. It is also crucial that, to the greatest extent possible, more information be made available to the American people because the first line of defense against intrusions like these is an educated and vigilant public.

“For me, this is not about the last election. It’s about the next election – and it’s about protecting and preserving the integrity of American democracy.”

As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator King last year visited Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, where he met with defense and security officials who described to him Russia’s repeated attempts to involve themselves in their elections and the spread of disinformation. Earlier this week, Senator King also met with officials from several of the Baltic States who reinforced that message and emphasized the importance of making the public aware of attempts to deceive them via disinformation. 

Last week, Senator King joined several of his colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to declassify information relating to the Russian government and the U.S. election.

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