Some U.S. intelligence officials reportedly believe Russian President Vladimir Putin personally played a role in meddling in the 2016 presidential election, likely in retaliation for former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s criticism of his 2011 elections.

The hacks reportedly began in early 2015, before President-elect Donald Trump announced his candidacy. The Russian effort escalated from initial attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure and morphed into more active efforts. President Barack Obama reportedly knew about the Russian effort, but chose not to retaliate in order to try and negotiate with Russia over the Syrian civil war.

These anonymous intelligence officials told NBC News Putin has a “vendetta” against Clinton after her 2011 remarks alleging widespread fraud in Russia’s 2011 parliamentary elections. Officials within the ODNI and FBI have pushed back against the CIA’s assertion that Russia explicitly interfered in the U.S. election to ensure Trump’s victory.

Putin became so incensed by Clinton’s remarks he accused her of trying to meddle, saying her comments gave a “signal” to his opponents. He continued to reporters in 2011 that leaders of the opposition tried to undermine him “with the support of the US state department began active work.”

“It is most certainly consistent with the Putin that I have watched and used to work with when I was an ambassador and in the government,” former U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation Michael McCaul told NBC News, speaking on Putin’s personal involvement.

He elaborated that Putin “has had a vendetta against Hillary Clinton, that has been known for a long time because of what she said about his elections back in the parliamentary elections of 2011. He wants to discredit American democracy and make us weaker in terms of leading the liberal democratic order. And most certainly he likes President-elect Trump’s views on Russia.”

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