‘Sensitive’ DARPA-Georgia Tech Research Targeted DNC, RNC Networks, Records Show

BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA – U.S. Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Ranking Member Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) are renewing their inquiry into the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) activity involving political parties following special counsel referrals and newly acquired emails suggesting “sensitive” projects targeting the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC).

A 2020 email between a Georgia Institute of Technology researcher and DARPA employees details a “sensitive” research project apparently targeting the DNC and RNC networks without the committees’ prior knowledge. A DARPA employee referred to the project as “sensitive stuff … worth doing.”

“This email exchange raises questions about the work of the [Enhanced Attribution] program and government employees responsible for it,” the senators said in a letter to DARPA Director Stefanie Tompkins.

Grassley and Johnson first inquired about DARPA’s reported collaboration with Georgia Tech related to the 2016 DNC server hack attributions. DARPA has failed to fully respond to this inquiry.

Special Counsel John Durham referred to two DARPA-related matters to the Defense Department Inspector General and Defense Intelligence Agency for further review – one involving a Georgia Tech contract and one involving “irregular conduct in 2016 of two former employees of the Department of Defense.”

Grassley and Johnson’s latest letter to DARPA follows:

August 9, 2023

VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION
Dr. Stefanie Tompkins
Director
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
675 North Randolph Street
Arlington, VA 22203

Dear Dr. Tompkins:

On April 28, 2022, we wrote to you requesting records related to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and work related to the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).^[1]  In September 2022, DARPA sent a response but failed to provide email communications and subsequently failed to make available relevant DARPA employees connected to the Enhanced Attribution (EA) program for interviews.^[2]  On May 12, 2023, Special Counsel John Durham referred two matters to the Department of Defense Inspector General and the Defense Intelligence Agency, including “[o]ne matter involv[ing] the execution of a contract between DARPA and the Georgia Institute of Technology…” and a “separate matter involv[ing] the irregular conduct in 2016 of two former employees of the Department of Defense.”^[3]  As part of our continued oversight of DARPA’s taxpayer-funded work with Georgia Tech, we have uncovered an email suggesting DARPA signed off on a project related to the Republican National Committee (RNC) and DNC networks.^[4]

In a September 25, 2020, email between Georgia Tech’s Dr. Manos Antonakakis, who worked on DARPA’s EA program, and DARPA employees, with the subject “RNC and DNC Related networks,” Dr. Antonakakis appears to request DARPA sign off on the research to examine networks related to the RNC and DNC.^[5]  Further, Dr. Antonakakis’ email appears to suggest that this examination was to be conducted without the prior knowledge of the RNC or DNC.^[6]  Dr. Antonakakis wrote:

Folks, last night as I was thinking what we can study, I also realized that we do not know much about the RNC and DNC networks out there. Wrote a job that run [sic] over night and I know [sic] have 292 *hand verified* at this point networks that are linked with RNC, DNC, and all local/state committee networks around the US. An adversary would find those networks interesting for a number of reasons. So, I think we should run a reverse Pythia and see what we can see.

If you approve this, [DARPA employee], I would like from you to think how we will break any bad news to these people? If you cannot think of a clear and clean way to inform them (is this DHS’s role or FBI’s or USCC’s?), perhaps we should let them remain infected.

Thanks, Manos^[7]

On the same day the DARPA employee responded to Dr. Antonakakis:

            “Sensitive stuff but yes, I know who to talk to if we find anything. Worth doing.”^[8]

Dr. Antonakakis responded to the DARPA employee:

            “OK, then. I will work with these networks and see what I can come up with.”^[9]

This email exchange raises questions about the work of the EA program and government employees responsible for it.  We request that you respond to our April 2022 document demands for email communications and interview requests.  In addition, please provide the following information:

1. Did Dr. Antonakakis conduct any work related to RNC and DNC networks?

1. If yes, did DARPA inform the RNC and DNC of this work?  If not, why not? 
2. Was this work conducted as part of the EA program? If not, what program was this work conducted under?
3. Did DARPA employees discuss this work with other agencies?  Please list the agency and when those discussions occurred.
4. On September 25, 2020, a DARPA employee wrote, “I know who to talk to if we find anything.”  Did this DARPA employee talk to any individual outside DARPA related to the RNC and DNC work?  If so, who, when and what was discussed?

1. Please provide all records^[10] related to all work DARPA and Georgia Tech conducted related to the RNC or DNC, including but not limited to, all records related to the project Dr. Antonakakis proposed in his September 25, 2020, email.

1. What actions has DARPA taken related to Special Counsel Durham’s December 14, 2022, referral connected to the Georgia Institute of Technology and the separate matter relating to “irregular conduct” by former Department of Defense officials?^[11] 

1. Is DARPA fully cooperating with the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) related to Special Counsel Durham’s December 14, 2022 referral?  Please explain in detail.

1. Has DoD OIG requested that DARPA provide the DoD OIG all records connected to DARPA and Georgia Tech?  If so, has DARPA provided those records to DoD OIG?  If not, why not?

1. What other networks did DARPA approve Dr. Antonakakis to examine as part of the EA program?  Please list those networks and provide all records related to those projects.

1. Please provide all records referring or relating to the EA program, including but not limited to, all communications with Dr. Antonakakis.

Thank you for your attention to this request.  We request you respond to this letter no later than August 23, 2023. 

Sincerely,

Ron Johnson
Ranking Member
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations

Charles E. Grassley
Ranking Member
Committee on the Budget

cc:      

            The Honorable Richard Blumenthal
            Chairman   
            Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations

            The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse
            Chairman
            Committee on the Budget         

            The Honorable Robert P. Storch
            Inspector General
            Department of Defense