Sen. Reid: Putin 'Clearly' Directly Involved in Hacking Election

Russian President Vladimir Putin was obviously involved in trying to interfere with the U.S. presidential election, according to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, and it shouldn't shock anyone.

"From what I understand, the answer is clearly yes. And — his having been the former head of the KGB — does that surprise you? And does it surprise anybody today when he denied it?" Reid said to reporters Thursday, according to The Hill. 

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the idea that Putin was involved was "laughable nonsense."

The Russian president "personally directed" how the materials hacked from Democrats were used during the presidential campaigns, according to intelligence officials. 

Reid slammed Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey, calling on him to step down, but the senator said Comey would not because he is "basking in the glow of the election."

"It's about time that Comey acknowledged publicly what a disservice he's rendered to our country by doing nothing, except interfering with the election," the retiring senator said, according to The Hill. "That is beyond all precedent."

Democrats want a committee such as the 9/11 Commission to look into the alleged hacking, but Republicans have said they want to use existing committees, according to Vox. 

On Tuesday, Reid told BuzzFeed that an investigation into Russian hacking is as important as Watergate or 9/11.

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