The Senate Intelligence Committee will explore Russian election disinformation, 'fake news' trolls today

The Senate Intelligence Committee wants to talk to Christopher Steele
(Image credit: NBC News/YouTube)

The Senate Intelligence Committee is holding open hearings Thursday on Russian interference in the U.S. election through technology and disinformation, with a slate of academic and cybersecurity experts scheduled to testify, including former NSA director Gen. Keith Alexander. Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) says the committee has requested interviews with 20 individuals, five of which have been scheduled, but he named only one of the 20, President Trump's son-in-law and top aide Jared Kushner.

Other people who have agreed to testify include Trump campaign officials Paul Manafort, Carter Page, and Roger Stone, but the committee has not yet reached an agreement on when to interview them or the terms, two congressional officials tell NBC News, adding that criminal immunity for talking is not likely on the table.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

On Thursday, the Senate Intelligence Committee will explore the various ways Russia tried to influence the U.S. presidential election and is meddling in other elections, too. "There were upwards of 1,000 paid internet trolls working out of a facility in Russia, in effect, taking over series of computers, which is then called a botnet," ranking Democrat Sen. Mark Warner (Va.) said Wednesday. One line of inquiry is whether Russian fake news was served to voters in key states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, he added. "We are in a whole new realm around cyber that provides opportunity for huge, huge threats to our basic democracy."

Explore More
Peter Weber, The Week US

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.