Mike McCaul: Russia Trying to Interfere in Elections for Years

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul, who was criticized last spring when he said Russian propaganda had targeted much of his party's base, indicated Sunday that reports from the Biden administration concerning a Russian scheme to influence the upcoming election reflect what's been happening for years.

"The Russians have been trying to do this for many years," the Texas Republican told CBS News' "Face the Nation." "So has China and so has Iran, for that matter, and it's intensified."

Last week, the Biden administration unsealed criminal charges against employees of a Russian state-run media company, while seizing internet domains that the Kremlin has been using to spread disinformation.

According to the White House, Russia is the primary threat to elections. However, the FBI is investigating a breach of former President Donald Trump's campaign and attempted hacking of the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris campaign. 

McCaul said Sunday he didn't blame anyone but Russia "for putting disinformation into the United States that does get people, unwittingly in many cases."

One of the cases accuses two employees of RT, a Russian-funded media organization, of having covertly funded a Tennessee-based content creation that published nearly 2,000 videos that were found to contain Russian propaganda. 

The defendants had used fake identities, with the company being unaware that it was being used to spread Russian propaganda, reports said. 

In the other case, 32 internet domains were seized that had been used to spread Russian propaganda. 

McCaul said Sunday that if it's true that the owners of the company knew they were dealing with Russian propagandists, "they should be indicted."

But the issue also spreads to China and other countries as well, said the congressman, adding that the disinformation campaign was also involved in affecting his own campaign. 

Trump, meanwhile, accused Harris last week of recycling the Democrats' "Russia, Russia, Russia hoax" and "trying to say that Russia is trying to help me, which is absolutely FALSE."

The White House, however, claims that Moscow wants Trump to return to the White House and says the Russian efforts pose a threat to the upcoming elections.

• NY Post: Biden Claims Russia Threat, Ignores China
• Intel Officer: Russia, China, Iran Trying to Influence US Election