FBI Director James Comey now backs the CIA's assessment that Russia was trying to get Donald Trump elected through the hacks. | Getty FBI backs CIA findings that Russia tried to help Trump win election

FBI Director James Comey now concurs in a CIA assessment that Russian hackers meddled in the U.S. presidential election to sway the race toward President-elect Donald Trump, a U.S. official confirmed to POLITICO.

In a memo first reported by The Washington Post, CIA Director John Brennan told employees that the FBI, CIA and Office of the Director of National Intelligence are in harmony about Moscow’s motives.


The message comes on the heels of a Post report last week that the FBI differed with the CIA o Russia’s motivation in launching a series of cyberattacks against the Democratic National Committee, Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and other political operatives, exposing reams of internal documents and embarrassing emails.

Reportedly, the CIA expressed certainty that Russia was trying to use the hacks to get Trump elected, while the FBI believed the evidence was “fuzzy” and “ambiguous.”

Brennan’s note explained that he met with Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper “earlier this week.”

“There is strong consensus among us on the scope, nature, and intent of Russian interference in our presidential election,” Brennan wrote in the message to the CIA workforce. “The three of us also agree that our organizations, along with others, need to focus on completing the thorough review of this issue that has been directed by President Obama and which is being led by the DNI.”

CIA and DNI spokespeople declined to comment.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.