White House points to Putin over election hack

 The White House on Thursday pointed to Russian President Vladimir Putin's direct involvement in cyber attacks designed to impact the US election, dramatically upping the stakes in a conflict between the world's two leading nuclear powers.

"I don't think things happen in the Russian government of this consequence without Vladimir Putin knowing about it," Ben Rhodes, a top advisor to President Barack Obama, told MSNBC television.

"Everything we know about how Russia operates and how Putin controls that government would suggest that, again, when you're talking about a significant cyber intrusion like this, we're talking about the highest levels of government," he said.

"And ultimately, Vladimir Putin is the official responsible for the actions of the Russian government."