US accuses Russia of using state media to spread disinformation before election

The Biden administration on Wednesday announced criminal charges, the seizure of internet domains and sanctions related to Russian disinformation efforts to influence the US presidential election.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said the actions relate to Russia’s use of state media to enlist unwitting American influencers to spread propaganda and disinformation.

The actions taken by the US government include sanctions against leaders of RT, a state media organisation that was forced by the Justice Department to register as a foreign agent, as well as visa restrictions.

One criminal case accuses two employees of RT of covertly funding a Tennessee-based content creation company to publish nearly 2,000 videos containing Russian propaganda.

The two defendants, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. They are at large. It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers.

The Justice Department says the company did not disclose that it was funded by RT and that neither it nor its founders registered as required by law as an agent of a foreign principal.

Though the indictment does not name the company, it describes it as a Tennessee-based content creation firm with six commentators and with a website identifying itself as “a network of heterodox commentators that focus on Western political and cultural issues”.

That description exactly matches Tenet Media, an online company that hosts videos made by well-known conservative influencers Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, and others. Mr Pool and Mr Johnson did not return a message seeking comment.

Tenet Media’s shows in recent months have featured high-profile conservative guests, including RNC co-chair Lara Trump, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and US Senate candidate Kari Lake.

In the other action, officials announced the seizure of 32 internet domains that were used by the Kremlin to spread Russian propaganda and weaken global support for Ukraine.

Intelligence agencies have previously charged that Russia was using disinformation to try to interfere in the election. But the anticipated announcement from Mr Garland is expected to show the depth of US concerns and signal legal actions against those suspected of being involved.

Mr Garland and other law enforcement leaders are expected to speak briefly at the opening of a meeting of the Justice Department’s elections threats task force.

In a speech last month, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Russia was the primary threat to the election, even as Iran raised alarm this summer for a hack of Donald Trump’s campaign and an attempted breach of the then Joe Biden/Kamala Harris campaign.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and “his proxies are using increasingly sophisticated techniques in their interference operations. They’re targeting specific voter demographics and swing-state voters to in an effort to manipulate presidential and congressional election outcomes”, she said. “They’re intent on co-opting unwitting Americans on social media to push narratives advancing Russian interests.”

Much of the concern around Russia centres on cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns designed to influence the November vote. The tactics include using state media like RT to advance anti-US messages and content, as well as networks of fake websites and social media accounts that amplify the claims and inject them into American’s online conversations.

Typically, these networks seize on polarizing political topics such as immigration, crime or the war in Gaza.

In many cases, Americans may have no idea that the content they see online either originated or was amplified by the Kremlin.

“Russia is taking a whole of government approach to influence the election including the presidential race,” an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said this summer during a briefing. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

Groups linked to the Kremlin are increasingly hiring marketing and communications firms within Russia to outsource some of the work of creating digital propaganda while also covering their tracks, the officials said during the briefing with reporters.

Two such firms were the subject of new US sanctions announced in March. Authorities say the two Russian companies created fake websites and social media profiles to spread Kremlin disinformation.

The ultimate goal, however, is to get Americans to spread Russian disinformation without questioning its origin. People are far more likely to trust and repost information that they believe is coming from a domestic source, officials said.

Fake websites designed to mimic US news outlets and AI-generated social media profiles are just two methods.

Messages left with the Russian Embassy were not immediately returned.