The Biden administration has accused Russia of once again attempting to influence the US presidential election. In a series of actions taken by the government on Wednesday, multiple agencies aimed to combat what they claim are false information activities targeting the November election. According to the administration, Russian actors have been operating websites and social media accounts to spread propaganda favorable to Russian interests, even creating fake social media personas to comment on posts, making their efforts more credible.
In one of the alleged influence operations, Russian-controlled media outlet RT is said to have funded a company in Tennessee, which posted videos on YouTube that garnered millions of views. The announcement was made during a special task force meeting on election threats held by the US Department of Justice.
According to the Justice Department, in one of the accused actions, the Russian government directed a Russian company to conduct propaganda on multiple websites to reduce support for Ukraine, support Russian interests, and influence voters in the US presidential election. The US government announced the continuous seizure of 32 internet domains associated with an influence campaign named Doppelganger, claiming they violated US anti-money laundering and trademark laws.
The influence campaign is reportedly commanded by members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, who have created media brands or closely mimicked existing brands to spread Russian government propaganda. They are also said to have created fake social media personas of non-Russian citizens to post comments.
Russian government and its agents are actively accelerating covert efforts by the Kremlin to spread false news, said Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Justice Department, in a statement. This seizure action vividly illustrates the issue that the US government and private sector partners have been warning about for months: the Russian government and its agents are actively accelerating covert activities to spread false stories and amplify disinformation to the American public.
The Treasury Department also sanctioned 10 individuals and two entities linked to the plan. The US State Department announced a new policy to deny visas to individuals engaged in covert influence activities on behalf of Kremlin-supported media organizations.
In a separate lawsuit, the Justice Department charged two employees of the Russian state-controlled media outlet RT with conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and commit money laundering. In a recently released indictment, the Justice Department charged RT with providing nearly $10 million in funding to an online content creation company based in Tennessee to post videos on TikTok, X, and YouTube. Reportedly, just on YouTube, the unnamed company’s videos, posted since 2023, have garnered nearly 16 million views. According to the Justice Department, these videos covered various perspectives but all focused on topics like immigration and inflation, with most aimed at expanding divisions within the United States, as publicly claimed by the Russian government and RT.
This is not the first time the US has accused Russia of interfering in elections. After the 2016 election, law enforcement agencies charged Russian agents with crimes related to election interference, including computer hacking. In 2020, the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report that found President Putin had condoned a campaign aimed at supporting Donald Trump’s bid for the White House in 2016.
The Biden administration used Wednesday’s announcement to warn malicious actors against interfering in US elections. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a statement while announcing the indictment against RT employees, saying, The Department of Justice will not tolerate authoritarian regimes attempting to exploit our nation’s free exchange of ideas to surreptitiously advance their own propaganda. Our investigation into this matter is ongoing.
The Ongoing Battle Against Foreign Interference
The latest allegations highlight the ongoing struggle the United States faces in protecting its democratic processes from foreign interference. The Biden administration’s proactive stance aims to send a clear message to would-be interferers: the US is watching and will take action to safeguard its elections.
As the November election approaches, the US government and its agencies will likely continue to monitor and counter any attempts to influence the outcome. The battle against foreign interference is far from over, and the United States remains vigilant in its defense of its democratic institutions.
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