The Biden administration has accused Russia of trying to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election. They’re doing it through state-run media and online platforms. This campaign is called “doppelganger.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed an indictment of two Russian employees of RT. He said they were involved in money laundering and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. They allegedly ran a $10 million scheme to influence U.S. public opinion in favor of Russia.
Garland explained how this involved U.S. social media influencers. These influencers were paid to spread content supportive of Russian interests, especially regarding the Ukraine war. The goal was to create divisions within the U.S.
The Justice Department is also seizing 32 internet domains. These sites were pretending to be major U.S. news outlets. However, they were actually spreading Russian propaganda designed to weaken support for Ukraine.
Garland said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle directed this operation. They used fake news to influence the 2024 U.S. election. The Kremlin referred to this disinformation as “bogus stories disguised as newsworthy events.”
When asked about the accusations, RT had a sarcastic response. They made jokes like “2016 called and it wants its clichés back” and “We gotta earn our Kremlin paycheck somehow.”
FBI Director Wray has been warning about Russian interference for years. He says the Russian government continues to interfere with U.S. elections.
RT was forced to register as a “foreign agent” in 2017. Their U.S.-based operations have been producing content supportive of Russian interests ever since.
Former intelligence officer Rebekah Koffler warned that Russia’s propaganda efforts are constant. She said RT’s goal is to push Russia’s point of view and mislead American audiences.