US report: Putin ordered effort to help Trump, hurt Clinton

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, left, talks with National Security Agency and Cyber Command chief Adm. Michael Rogers on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017, at the conclusion of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “Foreign Cyber Threats to the United States.” WASHINGTON >> Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a hidden campaign to influence America’s presidential election in favor of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, U.S. intelligence agencies declared Friday in the government’s first formal allegation supporting sensational claims that Trump and his supporters have staunchly resisted.