Just last week, Microsoft’s Tom Burt told attendees to the Aspen Security Forum that three Democratic congressional campaigns have already been targeted this year by Russian hackers. And while he wouldn’t identify the specific Dems, last time, we learned about one of them.
Sen. Claire McCaskill alleged on Thursday that Russian hackers have tried to gain access to her office’s computer network but have not succeeded.
The alleged attempt is one of the first public acknowledgments of a cyberattack tied to the midterm elections. McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, is seeking a third term representing a state that voted for Republican President Donald Trump two years ago, and she is among the most at-risk Senate Democrats in the upcoming midterms.
“Russia continues to engage in cyber warfare against our democracy,” the Missouri senator said in a written statement. “I will continue to speak out and press to hold them accountable. While this attack was not successful, it is outrageous that they think they can get away with this. I will not be intimidated. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Putin is a thug and a bully.”
As Rachel discussed on the show last night, the news was first reported by the Daily Beast.
Based on the available information, it appears the Russian efforts against McCaskill were unsuccessful, but the fact that this happened at all is a major development, and the first evidence that the kind of tactics we saw in 2016 are still being utilized in 2018.









