Grand jury indictment of 13 Russians formally documents election interference, contradicting Trump's 'hoax' claims

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office announced a grand jury indictment of 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities, charging an 'information warfare' conspiracy to defraud the United States by interfering in the 2016 presidential election through social media — activity the indictment says supported Donald Trump and disparaged Hillary Clinton. The filing detailed work by the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency, allegedly funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, and directly undercut President Trump's repeated public denials that the Russia investigation was a 'hoax' or a 'phony Democrat excuse.' Trump, who was briefed on the charges, made no immediate comment through his press secretary; observers described the indictment as a formal repudiation of his claims. Eight government and news sources corroborated the event.

“phony Democrat excuse for losing the election” — Trump repeatedly described the Russia investigation as a 'phony Democrat excuse for losing the election' in tweets and public statements throughout 2017 and early 2018. Quote verified against source