Public service reminder: the US Intelligence Community will pass judgement within 45 days after Election Day about the extent of any foreign interference. whitehouse.gov/presidential-a… 1/
Once the Intelligence Community renders its verdict, it will be up to Secretaries Pompeo and Mnuchin, and, ultimately, Trump himself to decide on possible sanctions/penalties against those responsible (within 30 days per the E.O. issued on Sept 12 2018). 2/
Articles like this one by @kevincollier suggest that the famed Russian Troll Factory is employing rather rudimentary tactics to hide its tracks during the US midterm elections (eg using VPNs, working on social media during US business hours) buzzfeednews.com/article/kevinc… 3/ 
Robert Mueller's Sept 28 indictment of the Troll Factory's finance chief made clear that there is an active conspiracy that "had as its objects impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful gov't functions of the US...including the 2018 US elections" justice.gov/usao-edva/pres… 4/
All of this points up the Intelligence Community's duty to speak truth to power, to call things like they see it in an unemotional and facts-based fashion, and to tune out any pressure from a non-disinterested Trump administration 5/
Once the IC hands things off to the executive branch, all bets are off, of course. The Trump team has broad discretion about what comes next (sanctions, etc.) and could easily say, "Thanks very much for your interest in national security." 6/
One hopes Congress will be watching this play out very carefully. Various legislative proposals may come back into play. But ultimately adopting new legislation on sanctions will be a partisan political call, which could lead things to stall out and perpetuate status quo /END
