Democrats brace for leaks as suspected Russian hacking case widens

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the first victim of Russia&#039;s hacking of Democratic emails

(Image credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

last updated 11 August 2016

U.S. intelligence agencies are almost certain that it was Russian hackers who broke into the Democratic National Committee's computer network, leaking embarrassing and politically damaging emails right before the Democratic National Convention; DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other top officials were quickly nudged out. On Wednesday, "officials with knowledge of the case" told The New York Times that the Russian cyberattack is much bigger that originally thought, and that the FBI is now warning more than 100 Democratic Party officials and groups that their personal email accounts may have been hacked.

The hackers appear to have mainly targeted the emails of officials in Hillary Clinton's campaign and Democratic Party operatives, but groups like the Democratic Governors' Association may have also been hit. The motives for the hack aren't clear yet, though Democrats are bracing for an October surprise, or a slow drip of leaks. The DNC leaks came via WikiLeaks, and Julian Assange, the organization's founder, "has made it clear that he would like to hurt Mrs. Clinton's bid for the White House, opposing her candidacy on policy and personal grounds," and hinting "that he has more material about the presidential campaign that he could release," The Times says, adding: "So far, it does not appear that the Russian hackers sought or gained access to any computer systems used by Mr. Trump."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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