NPR is reporting that "a federal grand jury has indicted 13 Russians and three Russian entities in connection with the attack on the 2016 presidential election."
Included in the indictment are details of how the accused allegedly used social media to disseminate information in support of Sen. Bernie Sanders' and Donald Trump's presidential campaigns.
According to a first search of the indictment (which can be read in full here) Sanders' campaign is mentioned by name twice.
"They engaged in operations primarily intended to communicate derogatory information about @HillaryClinton, to denigrate other candidates such
— Vermont Public Radio (@vprnet) February 16, 2018
as @tedcruz and @marcorubio, and to support @BernieSanders and then-candidate @realDonaldTrump."
In a section titled "Actions Targeting The 2016 Presidential Election," the indictment outlines a two year period leading up to the election when the accused allegedly used "fictitious online personas to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election."
"Specialists were instructed to post content that focused on 'politics in the USA' and to 'use any opportunity to criticize Hillary and the rest (except Sanders and Trump —we support them).'"
— Vermont Public Radio (@vprnet) February 16, 2018
The indictment includes the quote, "'use any opportunity to criticize Hillary and the rest (except for Sanders and Trump—we support them).'"
Friday afternoon, Sen. Sanders released the following statement:
It has been clear to everyone (except Donald Trump) that Russia was deeply involved in the 2016 elections and intends to be involved in the 2018 elections. It is the American people who should be deciding the political future of our country, not Mr. Putin and the Russian oligarchs. It is absolutely imperative that the Mueller investigation be allowed to go forward without obstruction from the Trump administration or Congress.
Update 3:29 p.m. to include remarks from Sen. Bernie Sanders.
This story will be updated.
