LONDON (AP) —
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she’s “dumbfounded”
the U.K. government has failed to release a report on Russian influence
in British politics as the country prepares for national elections.
Clinton
told the BBC in an interview broadcast Monday that the public needs to
know what is in the report by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security
Committee. The government said it needs more time to consider the report
before releasing it to the public, but critics claim the report has
been withheld until the next Parliament because it is embarrassing to
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party.
“I’m
dumbfounded that this government won’t release the report ... because
every person who votes in this country deserves to see that report
before your election happens,” Clinton said.
An American investigation into the 2016 U.S. presidential election found “sweeping and systemic” interference.
Bill
Browder, a former investment manager in Russia, told the BBC he gave
the committee evidence on wealthy Russians working to influence British
politics.
The
Intelligence and Security Committee report was sent to the prime
minister on Oct. 17, and it needs government approval before it is made
public. Johnson’s Downing Street office says the report has not yet gone
through the clearance process necessary for publication.
Lawmakers
from a range of parties, including Johnson’s Conservatives, urged the
government to publish the report during a debate in the House of
Commons. But Foreign Office minister Christopher Pincher argued it was
“not unusual” for the review of such reports to “take some time.”
Clinton also spoke with the Guardian newspaper at the event promoting “The Book of Gutsy Women,” co-authored with her daughter.
“I
am, as a great admirer of Britain, concerned, because I can’t make
sense of what is happening,” Clinton told the Guardian. “We have a
president who admires dictators and takes their help and does all kinds
of crazy stuff. So we need you to be the sane member of this partnership
going forward.”
No comments:
Post a Comment