US intel report says Putin directed cyber campaign to help Trump win

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered "an influence campaign" in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election with the goal of undermining the democratic process and denigrating democratic rival Hillary Clinton, a new, declassified intelligence report said on Friday.

"We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump," the report said.

"We also assess Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavourably to him," it said.

The report warned US allies that Russia will likely attempt to influence their elections, making use of its experience with the US vote.

The 25 page public report, which was half the length of the classified version presented to President Barack Obama on Thursday and President-elect Trump on Friday, provided little in the way of detailed evidence to link Putin and Russian intelligence to the hacking and release via WikiLeaks of Democratic Party files that hurt Clinton's campaign.

Russia has denied interfering in the election, and Trump has repeatedly questioned the US intelligence community's conclusions on the issue.

TRT World 's Colin Campbell has more from Washington DC.

Meanwhile, the US Congress certified on Friday that Donald Trump won the November presidential election, as last-gasp objections by Democratic lawmakers were swatted away by an irked Vice President Joe Biden.

Lawmakers held a ceremonial final count in the House of Representatives chamber that affirmed the votes cast last month by the members of the Electoral College chose the Republican property tycoon as the nation's 45th president.

"Donald Trump of New York has received, for president of the United States, 304 votes," while his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton received 227 votes, Biden declared to assembled lawmakers after the counting was complete.