DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate released the following statement Wednesday regarding President Trump's decision to authorize sanctions against those who try to interfere in U.S. elections:

"I fully support President Trump's decision to authorize sanctions on any individual, group or nation that tries to interfere in U.S. elections. Cybersecurity is a constant threat. There are thousands of attempts to access the State of Iowa's networks every single day, but we remain constantly vigilant in protecting our systems and the sanctity of the vote.

The Cold War has gone viral and bad actors in the Russian government, as well as Iran, China, and North Korea, continue to use propaganda to sow discord during the campaigns and cyber-attacks to cast doubt in our elections. Trust in our election systems is vital for our republic. That is why my office and our partners on the county, state and federal level are fully committed to using all available resources to make sure Iowans know their vote will count.

Interference in our elections is not acceptable. As Iowa's Secretary of State and Commissioner of Elections, I support the President and Congress in sending a clear message to nation states that we will not tolerate their attempts to interfere with or influence our elections." – Paul Pate, Iowa Secretary of State

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