WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement regarding Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump’s remarks on Russia hacking and releasing emails:

“It’s outrageous that a candidate for President would call on a hostile government to commit cyber-crime in the United States.  Not only is it becoming clear that Russia was behind the hack of Democratic National Committee emails, but an even more troubling picture is starting to come into focus: Vladimir Putin is working to influence an American election, and a major-party candidate wants to benefit from this foreign interference by encouraging more illegal hacks.  We cannot allow Russia to manipulate American democracy, and we cannot stay quiet when a major American political figure invites foreign influence into the American voting booth. 

“I am now reaching out to my colleagues to determine what role Congress should play investigating Russian and other foreign interference in our political process.”

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