Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., asks questions during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on proposed changes to police practices and accountability on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 10, 2020. Greg Nash/Pool via AP
House Democrats Ask IC for Plans to Prevent Foreign Actors from Exploiting Racial Tensions
“Unfortunately, we know that foreign actors have historically sought to exploit tensions in American communities during times like these,” they wrote.
On Thursday, Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee pressed the Intelligence Community for its plans to prevent foreign actors exploiting the current racial tensions in the country.
Reps. Val Demings, D-Fla., and Rep. Krishnamoorthi, D-Calif., wrote to Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe asking for information on the intelligence community’s plans to prevent foreign actors from exploiting the current racial tensions in the United States by inciting violence, spreading misinformation or other means. The request follows two weeks of nationwide protests in support of racial justice following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed in police custody in Minneapolis.
“Unfortunately, we know that foreign actors have historically sought to exploit tensions in American communities during times like these,” they wrote. “Now, Americans across the country are speaking out and demanding reforms to combat racism, race-related violence, and police brutality … While the Intelligence Community may not be directly involved in the discussions regarding the above policy reforms, [we are] writing to you today to request information regarding your plans to ensure that foreign actors do not exploit the current heightened tensions.”
Demings and Krishnamoorthi said they are concerned that foreign actors could use the current situation to interfere in the 2020 elections, similar to what Russia did in 2016. A report by the Senate Intelligence Committee in October 2019 found that Russia trolls on social media tried to convenience African Americans to not vote in the 2016 election.
“The committee found that no single group of Americans was targeted by IRA information operatives more than African-Americans,” said the report. “By far, race and related issues were the preferred target of the information warfare campaign designed to divide the country in 2016.”
The lawmakers want Ratcliffe to outline if and how the intelligence community is working to detect, prevent and respond to foreign actors' attempts to exploit the racial tensions and what foreign powers, if at all, have already tried to do so?