In the world of modern politics, one question seems to never go away, constantly nagging the Trump Ad- ministration since the inauguration: Did Russia hack or influence the 2016 Presidential Election?

Last year, Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, despite the rumors of Russian interference. Due to this alleged Russian influence, three former Trump campaign officials, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, and George Papadopoulos, were all charged with contacting Russian officials prior to the 2016 election after a thorough investigation by Independent Counsel Robert Mueller. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn also plead guilty to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Sophomore Bradley Greissman believes that the Trump Administration should not have consequences for contacting Russian officials: “There is no proof that the Russians contacted the Trump Administration; therefore, no consequences should be given.” Sophomore Terence Deegan disagrees: “[The Trump Administration] arguably committed an act of treason by collaborating with a foreign power and bypassing our election system.”

Throughout the investigation, Trump has been calling these accusations “fake news.” Sophomore James Charpentier thinks that the Trump Administration should be punished. He stated, “[The Trump Administration] should have consequences. The Russians helped Trump win the election.”

In the past year, Russians have been accused of helping Trump win the election because of the “dirt” they have on Hillary Clinton, who ran against Trump. The Mueller investigation eventually led to arrests after Manafort and Papadopoulos surrendered to the FBI. Manafort has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, whereas Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. Gates, Manafort’s longtime assistant and campaign advisor, also turned himself into the FBI. Later in the investigation, Flynn plead guilty to lying to the FBI.

As soon as the election was completed, there had been reports of a so-called “Russian Interference” that may have had an impact. These rumors have continued to be a hot topic around the world of politics, as the investigation is still making headlines a year later. Even with charges being filed, some still do not think the election was rigged, as Greissman reiterates, “There is not enough proof that the Russians hacked the election; they only endorsed Trump.” Deegan, however, completely disagrees: “There is evidence that the campaign was aided by Russian hackers.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly praised Trump in the past, saying he was the best person to be president of the United States. When Trump contacted Russia prior to the election, many believed that he was contacting them in an attempt to try to have Russia help him win the election.

The investigation will continue, as it has yet to be determined if the Russians really did hack the election. Although the arrests seem to be a big step towards determining if the election had any Russian interference, the investigation seems as though it will continue, dominating news cycles for the foreseeable future.