Russia backed widespread election interference scheme, DOJ says
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U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Department of Justice on August 23, 2024 in Washington, DC. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it is seizing 32 domains tied to a Russian influence campaign accused of spreading propaganda to influence voters in U.S. and foreign elections.
Why it matters: Members of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle directed Russian companies to promote disinformation as part of a campaign to influence the 2024 election, the Justice Department alleged.
- "The sites we are seizing today were filled with Russian government propaganda that had been created by the Kremlin to reduce international support for Ukraine, bolster pro-Russian policies and interests, and influence voters in the United States and other countries," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Wednesday.
Driving the news: The DOJ also announced charges Wednesday against Russian nationals connected to an alleged scheme to influence U.S. audiences with content that included hidden Russian government messaging.
- Court documents allege that RT, a Russian state media network previously called Russia Today, deployed nearly $10 million to finance and direct a Tennessee-based online content creation company that has posted nearly 2,000 videos in English focused on key domestic and foreign issues to "amplify divisions in the United States."
- Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva were charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Both are still at large.
- The 32-page indictment alleges that the pair worked to deceive two U.S. online commentators who have millions of YouTube subscribers, falsely claiming the company was sponsored by a fictional private investor.
Zoom out: The influence campaigns disrupted by the DOJ are known colloquially as "Doppelganger."
- Three Russian companies, directed by the Russian presidential administration, used the seized domains not only to influence voters, but also to reduce international support for Ukraine amid the ongoing war and promote pro-Russia policies.
- Some of the domains include "cybersquatted" sites publishing disinformation meant to resemble legitimate news outlets, like the Washington Post and Fox News.
- The affidavit alleges the campaign employed worldwide influencers, used paid ads on social media and developed fake social media profiles posing as U.S. citizens to boost viewership.
State of play: "The Good Old U.S.A. Project," "Guerrilla Media Campaign in the United States" and the "U.S. Social Media Influencer Network" project were three campaigns directed at influencing U.S. audiences, per court filings.
- While the court filings block out the names of presidential candidates and parties, context in the documents makes them identifiable.
- For example, in a Good Old U.S.A. Project document, a section on "Target Audiences" identifies residents of "conservative states ... who more often vote for candidates of the U.S. Political Party A."
Catch up quick: The U.S. Treasury Department also announced Wednesday it had designated 10 individuals and two entities in response to "Moscow's malign influence efforts targeting the 2024 U.S. presidential election."
- That announcement builds on a March Treasury announcement identifying two individuals and two companies, both of which were entities named in Wednesday's DOJ affidavit, as connected to Doppelganger.
- In its Wednesday sanctions announcement, the Treasury Department said RT began an "even more nefarious effort to covertly recruit unwitting American influencers" starting in early 2024 and used a "front company to disguise its own involvement or the involvement of the Russian government" in content shared to U.S. audiences.
- It also took action against RaHDIt, a "pro-Kremlin hacktivist group" the department said is composed of active and former Russian intelligence officers.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Moscow's alleged interference in a press release Wednesday, stating, "Today's announcement highlights the lengths some foreign governments go to undermine American democratic institutions."
- A Wednesday State Department release said individuals who provide "certain information on RaHDit" could be eligible for a reward of up to $10 million or relocation under the Rewards for Justice program.
- The department also announced a new policy restricting visa issuance to "certain individuals who, acting on behalf of Kremlin-supported media organizations, use those organizations as cover for covert activities."
Go deeper: Close Putin ally admits to interfering in U.S. elections
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the latest details.
