Reid requests FBI probe into Russia ‘tampering’ in US election

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Monday sent a letter to the FBI asking the agency to investigate the threat the Russian government poses to the U.S. presidential election.

{mosads}”I have recently become concerned that the threat of the Russian government tampering in our presidential election is more extensive than widely known and may include the intent to falsify official election results,” Reid wrote in a letter addressed to FBI Director James Comey.

Reid said the evidence linking Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign to Russia continues to grow. 

“The prospect of a hostile government actively seeking to undermine our free and fair elections represents one of the gravest threats to our democracy since the Cold War and it is critical for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to use every resource available to investigate this matter thoroughly and in a timely fashion,” Reid wrote.

“The American people deserve to have a full understanding of the facts from a completed investigation before they vote this November.”

Reid cited the leak of a trove of emails released by WikiLeaks last month that appeared to show top Democratic National Committee officials planning ways to undermine the presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

“The prospect of individuals tied to Trump, WikiLeaks and the Russian government coordinating to influence our election raises concerns of the utmost gravity and merits full examination,” he wrote.

He also said there have been concerns about the Russian government attempting to influence the Trump campaign and use it as a “vehicle for advancing the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

“The foregoing — and more — has led me to believe that this matter should be fully investigated,” Reid wrote, “and the investigation made public.”

Reports on Monday revealed that the FBI found evidence that foreign hackers had penetrated two state election databases. 

Questions have previously been raised about the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.