US offers US$10 million reward for 2020 election interference information
- State Department report alleged Russia continues to be a perceived threat
- US officials have also warned less specifically about election efforts by China
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday offered a US$10 million reward aimed at preventing foreign interference in the November election, as the State Department accused Russia of waging an increasingly sophisticated disinformation campaign.
The reward marks one of the most public signs that members of President Donald Trump’s administration are taking election meddling seriously, despite anger by Trump himself over findings that Russia has assisted him.
Pompeo pointed to efforts by “Russia and other malign actors” as he announced the effort to stop election interference.
The United States “is offering a reward of up to US$10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, interferes with US elections by engaging in certain criminal cyber activities,” Pompeo told reporters.
US intelligence concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to support Trump, especially through manipulation of social media, although it did not find that his campaign colluded with Moscow.
Last month four top Democratic lawmakers with access to intelligence said they were “gravely concerned” about a new “foreign interference campaign”, but their joint statement was notably not signed by members of Trump’s Republican Party.