In a series of actions taken by the US government, it was announced that the Russian government is attempting to interfere with the upcoming US presidential election. According to the US administration, Russian operatives have been operating websites and social media accounts to spread propaganda in favor of Russian interests, even creating false social media personas to comment on posts, making their efforts seem more credible.
The US Department of Justice has convened a special task force to address election threats, announcing the actions against Russian influence campaigns. The government claims that Russian actors have been involved in an alleged misinformation campaign targeting the November election. Among the charges, RT, a Russian-controlled media, is accused of funding a Tennessee-based company, which in turn posted videos on YouTube that garnered millions of views.
In one of the alleged influence operations, Russian-controlled media outlets were directed by the Russian government to propagate on multiple websites to reduce support for Ukraine, promote Russian interests, and sway US voters in the presidential election. The US government has announced a continuous seizure of 32 internet domains linked to the Twin influence campaign, alleging violations of US anti-money laundering and trademark laws.
The US government has stated that the campaign was directed by close associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who created media brands or closely mimicked existing brands to disseminate Russian government propaganda. Allegedly, they also created false social media personas of non-Russian citizens to post comments.
Russia’s government and its agents are aggressively escalating their covert efforts to sow misinformation and fake stories in the American public, said Matthew G. Olsen, the head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, in a statement. This seizure vividly illustrates the ongoing issue that the US government and private sector partners have been warning about for months: Russia’s government and its agents are aggressively escalating their covert activities, targeting US public with false stories and expanding misinformation.
The Treasury Department also sanctioned 10 individuals and two entities linked to the operation. The US Department of State announced a new policy, banning visas for individuals working on secret influence activities for government-supported media organizations from the Kremlin.
In a separate lawsuit, the Justice Department indicted two RT employees for conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and money laundering. The indictment alleges that RT provided nearly $10 million to a Tennessee-based online content creation company for the publication of videos on TikTok, X, and YouTube. It is reported that videos from this unnamed company since 2023 have garnered nearly 16 million views on YouTube alone. The videos’ perspectives varied, but mostly focused on issues like immigration and inflation, largely aimed at the Russian government and RT’s publicly stated goals of widening divisions within the US.
RT is accused of providing nearly $10 million to a Tennessee-based online content creation company for the publication of videos on TikTok, X, and YouTube.
This is not the first time the US has alleged Russian interference in elections. Following the 2016 election, law enforcement agencies charged Russian operatives with crimes related to election interference, including cyber hacking. In 2020, the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report confirming that President Putin had encouraged an influence campaign aimed at supporting Donald Trump’s entry into the White House in 2016.
The Biden administration used the Wednesday announcement to warn malicious actors not to meddle in US elections. In a statement accompanying the indictment of RT employees, Attorney General Merrick Garland said, The Department of Justice will not tolerate autocratic regimes attempting to use the free exchange of ideas in our country to secretly advance their own propaganda campaigns. Our investigation into this matter continues.
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