Sonomans predict more meddling from Moscow

Sonoma Valley residents say they are worried that the Russians will meddle in the upcoming November election.|

As the critically important November midterm elections approach nationwide, Sonoma Valley residents are deeply concerned about Russian interference.

Seven of eight people informally polled this week in downtown Sonoma said they believed such interference would take place. Their comments came in the wake of developments including a July grand jury indictment alleging that 12 Russian military intelligence officers illegally hacked the Clinton campaign during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

“Of course they will interfere,” said Judy Mikeska of Glen Ellen, who was strolling near Whole Foods on West Napa Street. “Because they got away with it before, they think we are stupid. But we’re not.”

Standing on the sidewalk in the afternoon sun, she exhorted, “People should get out and vote!”

The July indictment stands as the clearest Justice Department allegation yet of Russian efforts to interfere, through illegal hacking, in the U.S. presidential election before Americans went to the polls - and the first to implicate the Russian government directly. It had been sought by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Sheryl McVey was out with her dog Django. “Yes, I do think they will interfere,” McVey said. “They will do it via social media. They will use the same tactics they used in 2016 and then some.”

U.S. intelligence agencies have said the meddling was aimed at helping the Trump campaign and harming the election bid of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. The Russian intelligence officers allegedly hacked into the Clinton presidential campaign and Democratic Party, releasing tens of thousands of stolen communications.

“There were bots publishing critical material on social media, trying to pit people against each other, keeping the country divided,” McVey said.

According to prosecutors, the effort also included bogus Facebook ads and social media postings that prosecutors say were aimed at influencing public opinion and sowing discord on hot-button social issues.

“They will try it because it worked before,” McVey, a Sonoma resident, said. “We are more on alert now, but there is a likelihood they can circumvent whatever we have in place, sadly.”

Brook Tarrant of Glen Ellen said, “Democrats do it. Republicans do it. The Russians do it. They all manipulate, and they all use the same tools. Unless Facebook has gotten its stuff together to prevent this kind of thing, it will happen again.

“Facebook is on record to make this a priority, so we’ll see,” Tarrant said.

In a Facebook Live event September 2017, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said, “So we’re going to bring Facebook to an even higher standard of transparency. Not only will you have to disclose which page paid for an ad, but we will also make it so you can visit an advertiser’s page and see the ads they’re currently running to any audience on Facebook.”

Sandy Baggelaar said she “very much” believes there will be Russian interference.

“Part of me thinks they might try a different route than social media because they were outed” after the 2016 election, Baggelaar said.

“I think they will definitely try to meddle in the election,” said Joanell Serra of Sonoma. “My guess is they are diversifying: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Fox News.”

Liz Sievers of Sonoma said, “I think the Russians will impact anything they can on this planet and the Republicans will let them.”

Manuel Contreras of Sonoma was even more pessimistic.

“Indirectly (the Russians) already have, because they influenced the presidential election,” Contreras said.

The only person who wasn’t convinced that Russian meddling would happen said he was simply not sure.

“There is so much going on now with the politics in D.C.,” said Joe Walsh of Sonoma. “If we had more information, it would help us to know if (meddling) is the truth or not. Honestly, you just don’t know.

“A lot of people are just guessing,” Walsh said. “You won’t know until there is further investigation.”

Reach Janis Mara at janis.mara@sonomanews.com.

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