Yet Russia was tied to the hack last month when it was first reported.
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The FBI on Monday said it’s investigating the hacking of private Democratic National Committee emails, saying agents are working to “determine the nature and scope of the matter”.
Mook downplayed the possibility that the email release will rip open divides between supporters of Clinton and Sanders just before the Democratic National Convention kicks off in Philadelphia.
By tapping concerns about Putin’s expansionist aims and accusing Trump of complicity, the Clinton campaign is raising some ghosts of the old Cold War – and hoping this time it will be the Democrats who can capitalize on voter fears.
Trump dismissed that idea as laughable, tweeting: “The new joke in town is that Russian Federation leaked the disastrous DNC e-mails”.
Sanders supporters certainly weren’t amused. Irate, in fact, that the emails confirmed their long-held suspicions the party had favored Clinton all along.
A statement from the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that it is “investigating a cyber intrusion involving the DNC”, adding that “a compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously”.
Democrats have known about the hack since April, when party officials discovered malicious software on their computers.
The party publicly acknowledged the hack in June. On Friday, the leaked emails showed DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz along with other staff members disparaging Sanders.
How did these emails get out?
Was it from the Russians?
Mook went further by arguing that the Russian government arranged for the release of the emails on the eve of the Democratic convention to embarrass Clinton and to support Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Trump’s campaign has been friendly toward Moscow, from the nominee’s own admiration of Putin’s strongman tactics, to campaign chief Paul Manafort’s extensive lobbying and business ties to Kremlin cronies.
Emails were apparently leaked from seven DNC officials’ accounts, though CNN was not able to independently verify their authenticity.
Wikileaks has revealed a shocking series of emails that indicates that the Democratic National Committee was not only undermining Bernie Sanders as a viable contender in the Democratic presidential race, but may have even had Hillary Clinton moles inside of the Bernie organization.
In one message, someone suggested smearing Sanders’ atheism before Bible-belt primaries.
Wasserman Schultz said she would step down as DNC chairwoman “at the end of this convention”.
Sensing an opening, Trump sent out a flurry of tweets criticizing Sanders for shifting his support to Clinton – and urging Sanders supporters to “fight”.
The email controversy raised new questions about Trump’s foreign policy views with regard to Russian Federation.
The theory here is that the Russians would prefer a Trump presidency to a Clinton presidency, because Trump has offered some praise of Russian president Vladimir Putin and has suggested the US might not defend North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries from a Russian attack.
Last month, Brent Scowcroft, the top national security advisor to Republican Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, said in a written statement endorsing Clinton that “she brings deep expertise in worldwide affairs and a sophisticated understanding of the world”.
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Donald Trump speaks at the Republican U.S. presidential candidates debate at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida, U.S. March 10, 2016.
