The US government on Thursday accused Russia of carrying out a "pervasive" campaign to influence public opinion and elections, in a warning just months before crucial legislative polls.
"We continue to see a pervasive messaging campaign from Russia to try to weaken and divide the United States," said Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence.
A slew of top US officials including Coats, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Homeland Security chief Kirstjen Nielsen vowed to investigate and prosecute those who were trying to sway US opinion or carrying out what Wray described as "information warfare."
"Russia has used numerous ways in which they want to influence: through media social media, through bots, through actors that they hire through proxies - all of the above and potentially more...it's pervasive. It is ongoing with the intent to achieve their intent and that is drive a wedge and undermine our democratic values," Coats said.
The illegal activity includes criminal efforts to suppress voting and provide illegal campaign financing, cyber attacks against voting infrastructure along with computer intrusions targeting elected officials and others, U.S. officials said.
The FBI has open investigations into election interference, FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) Director Christopher Wray said at the briefing.
He added that the FBI was working closely with social media companies ahead of the mid-term elections.
Coats also noted that Russia was not the only country working to undermine American elections.
"Our democracy itself is in the crosshairs," Nielsen said in an unusually stark warning.
"This is not just an election cycle threat," Wray said. "Our adversaries are trying to undermine our country on a persistent and regular basis, whether it's election season or not."
'Extensive, historic action'
The comments came in jarring contrast to the positions of President Donald Trump, but the two men dismissed suggestions the president - who has repeatedly denied Russia moved to tilt the election in his favour - is not taking the issue seriously.
In a letter to Congress, National Security Advisor John Bolton said the administration had taken "extensive, historic action" to stop the threat.
Trump has mulled easing sanctions against Moscow, held warm meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and refused to criticize him over the meddling in the 2016 election.
He has also repeatedly called for an end to the investigation into Moscow's meddling, which has seen more than 20 Russians indicted so far.
Asked whether the American people could trust the administration to do its job, Wray responded: "I can assure the American people that the men and the women of the FBI, from the director all the way on down, are going to follow our oaths and do our jobs."
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