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April 04, 2018

Ranking Members Johnson and Beyer Send Third Request to Chairman to Address Election Cybersecurity Concerns and Foreign Influence Operations After Cambridge Analytica Scandal

(Washington, DC) – Last night, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Congressman Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D-VA) sent a third formal request letter to Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) asking that he hold a hearing on election security issues. This third letter follows the recent news that British-based Cambridge Analytica acquired the private data of 50 million Facebook users for political purposes. Cambridge Analytica is a commercial consulting company who claimed that it was decisive in Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 Presidential Election.

This is the fifth time in six months that Ms. Johnson and Mr. Beyer have requested that the Chairman fulfill his oversight obligation to review the security of the U.S. election infrastructure. Two similar formal written requests were sent to Chairman Smith in January and March, following oral requests made by Ranking Member Johnson and Ranking Member Beyer last year at two cybersecurity focused hearings in October and November.

In yesterday’s letter, they wrote: “Protecting personally identifiable information in the digital age is an immense task and a tremendous burden on both government agencies and commercial enterprises. Nevertheless, the U.S. Congress must hold both government agencies and commercial entities accountable when the public trust is breached. The Science Committee should take a leading role in investigating these sorts of cases whether the intended use of the data is for financial, political or other purposes.”

“We believe that the troubling information about the alleged inappropriate use of private data from 50 million Facebook users by Cambridge Analytica necessitates a vigorous inquiry. We stand ready, once again, to work with you in a constructive and nonpartisan way to fulfill the Committee’s oversight obligation regarding this critical issue.”

To see the full text of the letter, click here.