Sanders warns Putin: 'Stay out of US elections'
Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has condemned Russia because of its reported attempts to greatly help his campaign, telling it to "stay out of American elections".
Mr Sanders said on Friday that US officials had told him previous month about Russian efforts to aid his campaign.
Speaking in Bakersfield, California, Mr Sanders explained it was not clear how Russia designed to interfere.
However the Vermont senator, 78, explained he strongly opposed any attempts to take action.
He denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin as an "autocratic thug" whose federal government has "used net propaganda to sow division inside our country".
"Let's be sharp, the Russians desire to undermine American democracy by dividing us up and, unlike the current president, I stand firmly against their efforts and any various other foreign power that really wants to interfere inside our election," Mr Sanders said.
Mr Sanders, a good self-styled democratic socialist, happens to be considered the front-runner in the race to get the presidential nomination for the Democrats.
Facebook said it has not seen any proof Russian assistance to Sanders' campaign.
On Friday, The Washington Post said US President Trump and different US lawmakers have been informed of reported Russian work to aid Mr Sanders.
Senior intelligence officials also believe Russia has been wanting to interfere on November's election with a view to helping President Trump win.
Members of the home Cleverness Committee were told that Russia favoured Mr Trump at a closed-door briefing on 13 February.
President Trump, speaking in a Nevada campaign rally Friday, suggested the Russian meddling briefing was a good "rumour" started by the Democrats.
"I find these phonies, the do-nothing at all Democrats, they said today that Putin wants to be sure that Trump gets elected. Here we go once again," Mr Trump said.
What is the Trump-Russia controversy about?
US intelligence agencies concluded on 2016 that Russia employed a technique of cyber-attacks and fake news stories in order to skew the election against the Democratic prospect Hillary Clinton.
In 2017, former FBI director Robert Mueller was appointed as specialized counsel to lead a US justice section inquiry into whether Trump aides had colluded with Kremlin agents.
Mr Mueller submitted a 448-page report found in 2019 that didn't establish the president's plan had conspired with Russia through the election, nonetheless it did advise Mr Trump had obstructed the inquiry.
Mr Trump called the inquiry a good "political witch hunt" and Russian President Vladimir Putin denied collusion.
On Friday, the Kremlin denied allegations of election meddling. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised reporters these were "paranoid announcements" that possessed "nothing to do with the reality", Reuters reported.
The Russian denial runs unlike what acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Joseph Maguire, told Congress in the classified briefing to US lawmakers the other day.
Mr Trump lambasted Mr Maguire for posting the cleverness with Democratic lawmakers, sacking him weekly after the briefing.
Mr Maguire was a popular to come to be nominated for the everlasting DNI post, the Washington Post said.
However, the paper said the president evolved his head when he heard bout the briefing, and what he called the "disloyalty" of his staff.
The president announced this week that Mr Maguire will be replaced by Richard Grenell, the united states ambassador to Germany and a Trump loyalist.
Two Trump administration officials told the brand new York Instances that the substitute of Mr Maguire, so soon after the contentious briefing, was a coincidence.
Democrats criticised the president for appointing Mr Grenell, who has previously played straight down the extent of Russian interference in the last election, and offers celebrated the go up of far-right politicians in Europe.
On Friday, the president tweeted that "four wonderful applicants" were being considered for the everlasting DNI role.
He told reporters on Air Force One a evening earlier that congressman Doug Collins - who was an outspoken defender of Mr Trump during the impeachment inquiry - was among the possible nominees.
The Georgia Republican has said, however, he will not want the posting.
"This is not employment that interests me, at the moment it's not one that I would accept because I'm owning a Senate race down here in Georgia," Mr Collins told the Fox Business Network.
