The State Division is providing a reward of as much as $10 million for data on international interference in U.S. elections, the division introduced Thursday.
The division stated in a launch that it is on the lookout for data resulting in the identification or location of "any international individual, together with a international entity, who knowingly engaged or is partaking in international election interference, in addition to data resulting in the prevention, frustration or favorable decision of an act of international election interference." Examples of that might embody tampering with databases, working bot farm campaigns or malicious cyber exercise.
The reward announcement comes forward of the 2022 midterms, which can decide management of the Home and Senate.
After the 2016 presidential election, the Senate Intelligence Committee discovered that Russia overwhelmingly favored Donald Trump and "engaged in an aggressive, multifaceted effort to affect, or try to affect, the result of the 2016 presidential election." Particular counsel Robert Mueller discovered Russia interfered with the election by messing with Democrats' laptop networks and going after native election places of work.
Forward of the 2020 election, officers warned of the potential of international election interference. In October 2020, high intelligence officers stated Iran and Russia tried to compromise the presidential election.
Nonetheless, after the final presidential election, former President Trump's personal federal election infrastructure officers stated in a joint assertion that the 2020 election was the "most safe in American historical past."
Funding for the State Division reward comes from election safety fund supplied by the 2021 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act. Extra data is accessible at www.rewardsforjustice.web.