Senate Intel leaders warn of election systems threats

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) warned in a joint statement Wednesday that foreign actors may seek to attack U.S. election infrastructure or create the impression they have.

“Our adversaries abroad seek to sow chaos and undermine voters’ belief in our democratic institutions, including the election systems and infrastructure that we rely on to record and properly report expressions of the voters’ will,” Rubio and Warner wrote. “They may seek to target those systems, or simply leave the impression that they have altered or manipulated those systems, in order to undermine their credibility and our confidence in them.”

“As we enter the last weeks before the election, we urge every American – including members of the media – to be cautious about believing or spreading unverified, sensational claims related to votes and voting,” they added. “State and local election officials are in regular contact with federal law enforcement and cyber security professionals, and they are all working around the clock to ensure that Election 2020 is safe, secure, and free from outside interference.”

Although the senators did not offer further details, the statement went out shortly before the FBI announced it would hold a press conference Wednesday evening regarding a “major election security” issue.

NEWS: The FBI is making an announcement tonight on what the agency is calling a “major Election Security” issue. Scheduled 7:30PM ET start time.

— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) October 21, 2020