*By Alisha Haridasani* Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation on Friday indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers for interfering with the 2016 presidential election. The defendants “used a variety of means to hack the email accounts of volunteers and employees of the U.S. presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, including the email account of the Clinton campaign manager” with the intent to “stage releases of the stolen documents to interfere” with the election, the [indictment](https://www.justice.gov/file/1080281/download) stated. All 12 defendants were identified as officers of GRU, an intelligence agency that functions within the Russian military, making this the first time Mueller’s probe has gone after the Kremlin. Previous indictments have been directed at Russian nationals and companies, as well as several former Trump campaign aides, including Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn. The Russian-orchestrated plan disclosed Friday stopped short of altering the vote count, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in a news conference, reiterating a point that has been repeated by the agency and other intelligence committees multiple times during the drawn-out investigation. "But what this gets to is that this was a misinformation campaign," said Louis Nelson, breaking news reporter at Politico. "Whether minds were changed, whether they were able to sway public opinion, that's the thing that's hard ー maybe impossible ー to quantify." The news dropped just days ahead of Trump’s controversial one-on-one with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Finland, timing that's unusual for the typically nonpartisan agency. "The Justice Department generally, typically, tries very hard to avoid even the appearance of doing anything that might be seen as politically motivated," said Nelson. Mueller's "by-the-book" reputation also adds to the intrigue around the timing of the announcement. "Frankly, it was a bit unexpected for him to have come out today with indictments today against Russian military officials," said Nelson. "Certainly, it changes the context of that meeting in Helsinki." The indictments have prompted some Democrats to call for Trump to cancel the meeting. "There should be no one-on-one meeting between this president and Mr. Putin. There needs to be other Americans in the room," said [Sen. Mark Warner,](https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/mueller-rosenstein-russia-indictments/h_4f0157a3b47ba1bed6b19ce61e38869a) a Democrat from Virginia who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Hours before Rosenstein’s announcement, the president was asked whether he would press Putin about the election meddling. “I will absolutely bring that up,” said Trump, during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May in the UK. “I don’t think you’ll have any, ‘Gee I did it, I did it, you got me.’ There won’t be a Perry Mason here.” For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/mueller-indicts-12-russian-military-officials-and-what-it-means-for-the-trump-putin-summit)

Share:
More In Politics
Biden, Powell Meet on Economy, Inflation as Americans Grapple With Historically High Prices
President Biden and Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell meet at the White House today for the first time since Powell's renomination to the position. The President and the Fed Chair discussed the economy and historically high inflation, as new data shows inflation may be cooling slightly. Morning Consult economic analyst Jesse Wheeler joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss how the Biden administration at the U.S. central bank can work together to combat soaring prices for American consumers.
Ark. Gov Hutchinson on Abortion Trigger Law, Possible 2024 Presidential Run
In the second part of Cheddar's talk with Governor Asa Hutchinson, the Republican from Arkansas discussed his state's abortion trigger law and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Texas law that would prevent social media platform moderation currently being held up by the U.S. Supreme Court, and rumors of his 2024 presidential run. "I did go to New Hampshire. I am testing the waters out there, so no decision at this point. But we're looking at it," he said, noting that if former President Donald Trump runs, it would not affect his own decision.
Congress Optimistic Bipartisan Gun Reform Is Possible
Cheddar Politics looks at the ongoing efforts to pass meaningful gun safety laws in both Chambers of Congress following multiple mass shootings. Lisa Hagen, senior political reporter for U.S. News and World Report, helps break down why Senators are hopeful that a modest bipartisan gun safety package might be able to overcome a filibuster.
NYC Mayor Calls for Gun Detectors in Subways in Wake of Shootings
After two subway shootings in two months and the more recent mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, Mayor Eric Adams is calling for gun detection scanners to be installed in New York City subways. The tech would be similar to that used in sporting arenas, however, experts note multiple difficulties with such a setup including the need for nearby human operators.
Baby Formula Crisis Hits 70 Percent Out-of-Stock Rate Nationwide
With the baby formula in the United States surging to an out-of-stock rate of 70 percent, the FDA has given Abbott permission to reopen its Michigan plant amid the crisis and authorized foreign imports. Professor Peter Pitts, a former FDA associate commissioner and current president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, joined Cheddar News to discuss the ongoing shortage and its wide impact. “As difficult as things is in urban areas, they’re even worse in small communities and tribal areas where parents can't just go to the next store on the corner," he said. Pitts also noted that the Abbott factory was a "disaster" prior to its shutdown and that it would have been "regulatory malpractice" to have left it open.
Load More