meddling

The department’s independence from political meddling is a long-standing norm, but it isn’t protected by law.

These included a prohibition on White House meddling in Justice Department prosecutions that took on canonical status.

U.S. officials have accused Russia and its agents of directly meddling in U.S. elections for years.

Russia had already denied meddling in the vote, which came a week after another key Eastern European election in Georgia, whose president said it had been a "Russian special operation".

The Kremlin has denied meddling in Georgia’s domestic affairs and has accused the West of “unprecedented attempts” at interference.