Mr. Scott and other state officials stressed the specificity of Mr. Nelson’s allegations last week, and reiterated that Florida was unaware of any such penetration. For days, Mr. Scott’s campaign has demanded Mr. Nelson either offer proof or explain how he wasn’t revealing classified information.
Mr. Detzner took the additional step of writing the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI last Friday, asking for such information and assistance from federal officials by Monday. As of late Wednesday, the Florida Secretary of State’s Office said it had received no reply.
On Tuesday, Mr. Nelson carefully avoided leveling such a pointed charge, although at one point he allowed, “this senator doesn’t know what counties they’re in,” in reference to the Russians.
“That is very closely held by the intelligence community,” he added, “because they don’t want to tip off the Russians that we know. Otherwise, they will figure out how they got that information.”
Mr. Nelson went on Tuesday to argue it was “foolish to think if they were in the election records in 2016 that they are not continuing,” which is a more general proposition than he was quoted as giving earlier.
“At this point, people in Florida are just more confused,” said Lauren Schenone, spokeswoman for the Scott campaign. “This is so important to the public but we’re just not getting questions answered.”
Republican officials said Wednesday Mr. Nelson’s words were disingenuous, arguing the senator can’t claim he is protecting the intelligence community when he apparently tipped off the Russians himself last week.
“He’s either lying or circling back to try to cover up that he leaked classified information,” said Taryn Fenske, the Florida communications director for the Republican National Committee.