Russia Election Hack Update: Lindsey Graham Says Moscow Hacked His Presidential Campaign Email Account

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said he too was a victim of Russian hackers claiming they compromised his presidential campaign email account in June this year. The Republican lawmaker called for a tougher stance against Moscow.

During the 2016 election race, the email account of former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign Chairman John Podesta was hacked and the emails were published on the whistleblower website WikiLeaks. The website also leaked thousands of emails allegedly acquired from Russian hackers who compromised several Democratic National Committee (DNC) accounts.

In an interview Wednesday with CNN, Graham said: “I do believe the Russians hacked into the DNC. I do believe they hacked into Podesta’s email account. They hacked into my campaign account. I do believe that all the information released publicly hurt Clinton and didn’t hurt Trump. I don't think the outcome of the election is in doubt. What we should do is not turn on each other but work as one people to push back on Russia.”

Speaking of the hacking of his own campaign, Graham said FBI officials informed him about the hack in August.

“Well our campaign vendor that we used was hacked. We were told by the FBI in August that we were hacked in June,” he said. “[Russia is] trying to destabilize democracy all over the world, not just here.”

Graham’s hacked emails were published on a website called DCLeaks in August.

The South Carolina senator, however, dismissed allegations of Russian interference affecting the results of the 2016 election.

“I think Hillary Clinton lost because she wasn't an agent of change and she tried to disqualify Trump and she wasn't able to do it,” he said.

Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump dismissed a CIA report that said Russian hackers attempted to swing the election in his favor. He called the CIA’s findings “ridiculous.”

“I think it’s ridiculous. I think it’s just another excuse. I don’t believe it. They have no idea if it’s Russia or China or somebody sitting in a bed some place,” he told Fox News Sunday.

President Barack Obama has ordered an investigation into the hacks. Several prominent Republicans like Sen. John McCain have joined Democrats supporting the probe.

Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations of Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

“There is nothing in Russia’s interest,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in October. “The hysteria aims only to distract the attention of the American people from the substance of what hackers had put out. And the substance is the manipulation of public opinion.”

“Does it really matter who did it?” he asked.