A 2014 report warned the Obama administration that Russia was assembling a massive campaign to disrupt western democracies, potentially including the U.S., but intelligence officials were unable to get "sign-offs" from the administration to respond, Politico reports. "The truth is, nobody wanted to piss off the Russians," said one intelligence official.
The 2014 report quoted a Russian source who warned American officials, "You have no idea how extensive these networks are in Europe ... and in the U.S., Russia has penetrated media organizations, lobbying firms, political parties, governments, and militaries in all of these places."
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