Sep 11, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Report: Trump to sign executive order threatening election meddling sanctions

Shannon Vavra

President Trump is expected to sign an executive order as soon as Wednesday that would threaten sanctions on foreign companies, individuals or governments that meddle in U.S. elections, Reuters reports citing two sources.

Why it matters: There are fewer than 100 days before the 2018 midterm elections, and candidates and government officials have already been targets of hacking this year. Both Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri have been targeted by hacking attempts.

The details: The order would put the CIA, the National Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in charge of determining whether meddling has taken place.

It would require federal agencies aware of foreign election meddling to relay the information to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Interference would be defined as hacks against "election infrastructure," attempts to influence public opinion online and leaks of political information. The CIA and NSA referred to the White House and NSC for comment. DHS did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Go deeper: State elections emails are easy for hackers to fake

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Report: Trump to sign executive order threatening election meddling sanctions

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