Report: UK officials 'avoided' looking into Russian meddling

A long-awaited report published Tuesday on Russian influence in British politics criticized the British government for its slow response to Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum, with its authors saying it was “astonishing” that no one sought to protect that democratic process. While the report from the parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee said it would be “difficult — if not impossible — to prove” allegations that Russia sought to influence the referendum, it was clear that the government “was slow to recognize the existence of the threat" even after evidence emerged of Russian interference in the U.S. elections back in 2014. “As a result, the government did not take action to protect the UK’s process in 2016," the report said.