Obama sanctions Russians over presidential election hacking

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On Thursday, President Barack Obama issued an executive order in retaliation for the Russian hacking that took place during the election.

In issuing the order, the administration described the Russian activities as “Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities,” sanctioning six Russian individuals and five Russian entities and ordering Russian diplomats out of the country.

In a statement, the White House said the hacking was “unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

“Russia’s cyberactivities were intended to influence the election, erode faith in US democratic institutions, sow doubt about the integrity of our electoral process, and undermine confidence in the institutions of the US government,” the statement said. “These actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

–U.S. Officials: Putin personally involved in election hacking–

Obama also issued a statement detailing the ouster of the diplomats, saying they and their families had been given 72-hour notice to leave.

“These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior,” Obama said.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said the sanctions were “overdue,” and an “appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia.”

“Russia does not share America’s interests,” he said in a statement Thursday. “In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world. While today’s action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. And it serves as a prime example of this administration’s ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world.”