WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today participated in a Senate Intelligence Committee open hearing on Russian intelligence activities and the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The hearing, Disinformation: A Primer in Russian Active Measures and Influence Campaigns, provided a foundational understanding of Russian active measures and information operations campaigns, examining the history and characteristics of those campaigns and the role and capabilities of cyber operations in support of these activities.

“It appears that we are engaged in a new form of aggression, if not war – that the Soviet Union and now Russia has been utilizing for many years but is now taking it to a much higher level,” Senator King said.

In response to questions from Senator King, the hearing witnesses testified that Russia’s interference in the 2016 election is consistent with prior and current Russian practice in other parts of the world and that their behavior will continue in the future.

“I think it’s very important, though, that we realize that he [Putin] is neither a Democrat nor a Republican because it means that everybody on this dais and everybody in political life in America, regardless of their party, is at risk,” Senator King continued. “In 2016, it happened to tilt because of his interest towards the presidential candidate of the Republican Party but it could very well be the opposite in 2020 or 2022.”

Senator King also expressed his continued concern over Russia’s probing of state election systems, which he said they weren’t doing for fun. “This wasn’t entertainment,” Senator King said. “They were looking for a place to make changes in election results.”

Lastly, Senator King also said that, in any report produced, the Senate Intelligence Committee should evaluate defenses, including cyber strategy and the U.S.’s reaction to a cyber-attack. Last year, Senator King authored a provision to the National Defense Authorization Act with Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) that requires the current Administration to develop options for deterring threats in cyberspace and determining what types of actions in cyberspace may warrant a military response. He has also introduced the Securing Energy Infrastructure Act with Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) bipartisan legislation that aims to protect America’s electric grid from cyber-attacks.

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