The United States has unveiled a series of actions aimed at countering Russian efforts to influence the 2024 presidential election, including the indictment of two employees from Russia’s state media outlet RT. The employees are accused of secretly funneling $10 million to a US-based media company in Tennessee as part of a covert influence operation orchestrated by Moscow.
In an indictment unsealed on Wednesday, the US Department of Justice alleged that RT employees Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva used shell companies and false identities to carry out the scheme. The charges include conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized that the campaign sought to manipulate American audiences with concealed Russian government propaganda. “The company never disclosed to the influencers – or to their millions of followers – its ties to RT and the Russian government,” Garland said. He added that the defendants had misrepresented the funding as coming from a fictitious private investor.
Garland further warned that the US would not tolerate foreign authoritarian regimes exploiting the country’s free exchange of ideas to covertly promote their propaganda. Investigations into similar efforts are ongoing.
Although officials did not name the Tennessee-based media outlet in question, the indictment described the company as a “network of heterodox commentators that focus on Western political and cultural issues.” This description aligns with Tenet Media, a platform known for featuring right-wing influencers such as Dave Rubin, Tim Pool, Lauren Southern, and Benny Johnson. Neither Tenet Media nor RT has issued an immediate response to the allegations.
Several of the influencers associated with the network have publicly denied any knowledge of the scheme. Rubin stated that the allegations prove he and others were victims of a fraudulent operation. Johnson echoed this sentiment, describing himself as “disturbed” by the revelations. Pool also expressed disbelief, claiming that he had maintained full editorial control of his show.
In a separate move, US officials announced the seizure of 32 internet domains used by Russian actors in “malign influence campaigns” aimed at disrupting the US election and reducing international support for Ukraine. FBI Director Christopher Wray stated, “By seizing these websites, the FBI is making clear to the world what they are: Russian attempts to interfere in our elections and influence our society.”
The US has consistently accused foreign governments, including Russia, of attempting to interfere in its electoral processes, including the presidential elections of 2016 and 2020. In addition to Russia, US intelligence agencies have named China and Iran as key foreign actors in efforts to meddle in the 2024 election.
These developments follow previous indictments in 2018, when US prosecutors charged 13 Russian individuals and entities with interfering in the 2016 election to support then-candidate Donald Trump.
