Grassley seeks info on Russia, Democratic National Committee emails

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley is trying to find out what the U.S. government is doing about reports the Russian government was involved in hacking into the Democratic National Committee's computer system.

Grassley, R-Iowa, in a joint letter with Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., cited media reports that hackers had broken into the DNC's system and seized an opposition research file on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, as well as emails that were provided to WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks released emails as the Democrats' national convention was getting underway this week, showing that DNC staffers talked about undermining the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders. The Trump file was leaked to media outlets last month.

In the letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey, Grassley and Leahy said it's troubling enough that foreign intelligence agencies not only spied on American political organizations, but then selectively published the information 'in what appears to be attempts to affect our democratic process.”

The senators added that 'if foreign intelligence agencies are attempting to undermine that process, the U.S. government should treat such efforts even more seriously than standard espionage.” The letter also asked whether existing laws were sufficient to address such a situation.

The Russians have denied any complicity in the matter.

Grassley is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has oversight over the Justice Department and FBI. Leahy is the ranking Democrat.

Grassley told Iowa reporters Wednesday that it's important that the public know about the Russian activities in this matter.

'If it's affecting our political process and they're trying to interfere in our election process and, particularly if it's to help one candidate over another, I think the public needs to know about it,” Grassley said, according to a report on Iowa Public Radio.