Election security

Ex-US Homeland Security Chief Dismisses Claims Russia Meddled in 2016 Election

Moscow did not influence the vote count in the 2016 US presidential election, former US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson will say later in the day according to the statement obtained by media.

"To my current knowledge, the Russian government did not through any cyber intrusion alter ballots, ballot counts or reporting of election results," Johnson will say as quoted in the statement obtained by The Hill media outlet.

The former secretary is expected to specify before the House Intelligence Committee that he is not in a position to know whether the alleged Russian hacking attacks "alter public opinion and thereby alter the outcome of the presidential election."

The United States has repeatedly accused Russia of meddling in the 2016 presidential election, with Moscow refuting all allegations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the accusations "absolutely groundless."