Clinton briefed on DNC email hack

PHILADELPHIA — Hillary Clinton has been briefed on the hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and was “alarmed” to discover Russians could be interfering in U.S. elections, her top national security adviser said.

Clinton aide Jake Sullivan told reporters Wednesday that Clinton has been in contact with the intelligence officials investigating the breach.

{mosads}“She has been told, as now the world has been told, that the weight of opinion on this, the growing consensus from the experts and intelligence officials, is that Russia was in fact behind the DNC leak,” Sullivan said.

“She, like I think any Republican, Democrat or independent who cares about America’s national security is alarmed by the prospect or proposition that Russia is interfering with the American election,” he continued. 

“She does not view this as a political issue. She views this as a national security issue and she believes it is obviously something new to see them interfering in an American election.”

The leak of thousands of internal DNC emails overshadowed the Democratic National Convention early this week, with some of the messages showing top officials apparently working to undermine Bernie Sanders in his campaign against Clinton for the party’s presidential nomination.

The scandal led to the abrupt resignation of DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and led her to relinquish her ceremonial role at the convention.

But intrigue continues to swirl around who stole the emails and why they were released as Democrats prepared to formally nominate Clinton.

The Kremlin has denied involvement. 

But Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has expressed disdain for Clinton and talked in the past about releasing the emails at a point in the election cycle to damage her candidacy.

Assange says more Democratic emails will be released soon.

Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook has insinuated that Republican nominee Donald Trump’s campaign may have worked with the Russians to facilitate the hack.