(CNN) Florida's Sen. Bill Nelson said in an interview he stands by his declaration that Russians have "already penetrated" the state's voting systems -- even as local officials await his response to their demand for more information. After issuing a tersely worded letter Thursday asking Nelson to explain by Friday his statements about a hack of Florida's election system, election officials in the state say they still have not heard from him. Nelson, a Democrat in the middle of a difficult re-election fight, said last week that the Russians "have already penetrated certain counties in the state and they now have free rein to move about." In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Nelson said "of course" when asked whether he still stood by his claims. Nelson said his comments stemmed from his July 2 letter, co-signed by GOP Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, warning the state's officials to prepare for potential interference.

Source: CNN August 18, 2018 01:07 UTC