Hillary Clinton: ‘Shameful’ of UK not to publish report on Russian meddling

LONDON (Reuters) – Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton criticized as “shameful” British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson’s decision not to publish a parliamentary report on Russian
meddling in UK politics until after an election next month.

The report by parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee
(ISC) has been cleared by the security services but it has not yet
been given approval for publication by Johnson’s government, so
will not appear before the Dec. 12 vote.

“I find it inexplicable that your government will not release a
government report about Russian influence. Inexplicable and
shameful,” Clinton told the BBC in remarks reported on Tuesday.
“Every person who votes in this country deserves to see that report
before your election happens.”

“There is no doubt – we know it in our country, we have seen it
in Europe, we have seen it here – that Russia in particular is
determined to try to shape the politics of Western democracies,”
Clinton said.

Britain has accused Russia of meddling in the domestic politics
and elections of several Western countries, including the U.S.
presidential election. The British government says it has not seen
evidence of “successful” Russian interference in UK elections,
including the 2016 vote to leave the EU.

Moscow has repeatedly denied any meddling and says the West is
gripped by anti-Russian hysteria. U.S. intelligence agencies say
Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential election through
hacking and spreading propaganda, aimed at helping Donald Trump
defeat Clinton, his Democratic opponent.

The British parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee’s
report contains allegations of Russia’s attempts to interfere in
Western politics and includes evidence from Britain’s main
intelligence agencies, MI5, GCHQ and MI6.

The report was completed in March and then went through
redaction by the Cabinet Office and security services, a process
completed by early October, according to Dominic Grieve, who
chaired the committee.

Grieve, who was expelled from the parliamentary group of
Johnson’s Conservatives for defying him over Brexit, said the
report was sent to the prime minister on Oct. 17 for final
approval, a process he said customarily takes 10 days.

Johnson’s government says the delay is a result of normal
procedures: “There is a proper process that these reports go
through. The ISC are aware of that,” Johnson’s spokesman said on
Monday. “That process hadn’t completed by the time that parliament
was dissolved.”

As the report is supposed to be presented to parliament, which
is not sitting during the election campaign, its publication could
be delayed by months.

The opposition Labour Party has said the decision not to release
the report is an attempt to withhold the truth from the public and
has said both Johnson and his most senior adviser, Dominic
Cummings, have links to Russia.

Johnson’s government has denied suggestions by the Labour Party
that either the Conservative Party or the government are linked to
Russian disinformation campaigns.