Warner: Campaigns should start reporting foreign contacts to the FBI

Sen. Mark WarnerMark Robert WarnerHillicon Valley: Regulators urge Congress on privacy bill | Americans mimic Russian misinformation tactics before 2020 | Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders support Uber strike | GOP senator targets video games "manipulators" summonses to appear before Senate committee Donald Trump Jr. Klobuchar lobbied Barr, Mueller to get more information on special advocates' findings. (D-Va.) Argued Thursday that although the special advocate Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud Mueller's choice to lead the investigation over Russia MORE has not established that the Trump campaign had plotted with Russia in the 2016 elections, many foreign contacts in future elections should be considered a conspiracy.

Warner, the most Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, commented on the findings of the investigation by Mueller 's special advocate at an event in the Brookings Institution, while touting his own investigation of its Senate committee on electoral interference in Russia, describing "the latest bipartisan investigation in progress".

"I will accept Bob Mueller's version that even though there had been 100 contacts between Russians and the Trump organization or the Trump campaign, even if the Trump campaign leader had given secret or secret information to a known Russian agent, even if Roger StoneRoger Jason StoneWhite House orders McGahn to challenge the subpoena to appear before Stone's partner to ask the Supreme Court to challenge the appointment of Mueller Mueller GOP's optimism for 2020 was premature PLUS has allowed WikiLeaks to send hacked emails … even if all this has not reached the level of conspiracy charges, it should do so, "Warner said.

Warner asserted that campaigns should have an "affirmative obligation" to report to the FBI any contact with foreign officials or entities similar to those described in Mueller's report. He also called on Congress to pass election security laws, such as the Secure Elections Act, which had not been discussed in the previous Congress.

"The fact that we did not say is that if you want federal money, you have to have a written track … It's crazy not to put rules in place," Warner said.

Warner said that if it were to be reintroduced, the Secure Elections Act "would get 85 votes on the floor of the US Senate today if we did not have the White House and Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellNight care: HHS issues rule on price of drugs in television commercials | Grassley and Wyden Prepare Plan to Limit Medication Costs in Medicare | Warren will give money from his family behind the Republican opioid giant tearing the GOP Intel's decision to assign Trpo Jr. over the money: the White House files a notice to raise the Chinese customs tariff | Dems Quotes NYT Report For Trump Tax Returns | Trump strikes Iran with new sanctions | Trump congratulates GM on the sale of a shuttered plant in Ohio | The Ex-Im bank is back at the height trying to prevent it from even reaching the ground. "

The bill, which had bipartite support from co-sponsors, including Sens. Amy KlobucharAmy Jean Klobuchar2020 Democrats Demonstrate Trade Union Credibility at Hillicon Valley Trade Union Event: Regulators Urge Congress to Protect Privacy Bill | Americans mimic Russian misinformation tactics before 2020 | Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders support Uber strike | GOP senator targets "manipulative" video games Klobuchar lobbies Barr, Mueller to get more information on special advocates' findings PLUS (D-Min.) And James LankfordJames Paul Lankford Export-Import Bank is again fully operational after confirmation by the Schumer Senate: McConnell attempts to "launder" the Mueller report: Senators introduce a bill to prevent a border service from selling personal data MORE (R-Okla.) At the last Congress, would have given states more resources to protect their voting systems, among other provisions.

Warner said the lack of electoral security legislation encouraged foreign countries such as Russia and China to interfere in the US elections, as it "shows that we are not doing enough to protect our own values ​​and protect our own systems.

During his appearance at Brookings on Thursday, Warner also sounded the alarm about the threat of cyber espionage from China and called for a new trade deal with language to reduce such threats.

Warner criticized President TrumpDonald John TrumpMcMaster accuses some of the White House of being a "danger to the Constitution". Trump predicts Dem's investigation will lead him to a victory in 2020 Trump hits O 'Rourke: "The boy fell like a rock" CONTINUED for his "insatiable effort to proclaim victory, even if there was perhaps no victory yet," which could make it a trade deal with China, which might not deal with issues of intellectual property.

"In a world that is moving more and more at the speed of the Internet, we can not wait to have all the answers to this challenge," Warner said of the threats posed by China . "We need to find a way to protect ourselves, to compete and to be able to take advantage of the increasingly important situation in a global context with China, because we know that China has a plan. . "