VETS GROUP SAYS OFFICIALS IGNORING DISINFORMATION

A major veterans group says the Trump administration of has been ignoring Russian disinformation campaigns that have been targeting U.S. troops and veterans for nearly two years.

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) cautioned the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments in March 2018 that disinformation campaigns aimed at service members could plant seeds for social disagreement, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

The group says the agencies have not taken action to combat the campaigns, prompting VVA to submit a letter to President Trump on Dec. 18 asking for his intervention, according to an email sent to his veterans liaison that was reviewed by the Post.

VVA says it has not received an answer to the letter, and it’s unclear if the administration is taking steps against the disinformation campaigns.

A senior administration official told the newspaper that it “works every day to counter malign foreign influence, from identifying and exposing foreign actors to disrupting and imposing costs for these actions.”

The White House told the Post that it has received the letter but did not say what steps, if any, it is taking in response.

The Department of Veterans Affairs declined to comment to the Post on the group’s allegations, but spokesperson Randal Noller said in a statement to The Hill that “veterans are the targets of many of the same types of fraud as the rest of society.”