USA / MOSCOW – As part of a series of coordinated actions across the US Government, the Department of State on Wednesday countered Kremlin-backed media outlets’ malicious operations seeking to influence or interfere in the 2024 US elections.
“Moscow’s methods of targeting those it identifies as adversaries are well known – from its illegal and unwarranted invasion of sovereign nations to the unjust imprisonment of innocent persons, to cyberattacks and meddling in foreign elections, to conducting sham elections in Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine,” said US Department of State. “In addition, we now know that RT, formerly known as Russia Today, has moved beyond being simply a media organization. RT has contracted with a private company to pay unwitting Americans millions of dollars to carry the Kremlin’s message to influence the US elections and undermine democracy. Moreover, RT’s leadership has direct, witting knowledge of this enterprise.”
To counter Russia’s state-backed covert influence operations, the Department is acting to hinder malicious actors from using Kremlin-supported media as a cover to conduct such covert influence activities. The Department’s actions include introducing a new visa restriction policy, Foreign Missions Act determinations of RT’s parent company Rossiya Segodnya, and other subsidiaries RIA Novosti, RT, TV-Novosti, Sputnik and Ruptly, and announcing a Rewards for Justice offer.
“The announcement highlights the lengths some foreign governments go to undermine American democratic institutions. But these foreign governments should also know that we will not tolerate foreign malign actors intentionally interfering and undermining free and fair elections. The United States will continue to both expose those state-sponsored actors who attempt to undermine our democratic institutions and hold them accountable for those actions,” noted the US Department of State. View the affidavit here.
Meanwhile, The Justice Department announced the ongoing seizure of 32 internet domains used in Russian government-directed foreign malign influence campaigns colloquially referred to as “Doppelganger,” in violation of US money laundering and criminal trademark laws. As alleged in an unsealed affidavit, the Russian companies Social Design Agency (SDA), Structura National Technology (Structura), and ANO Dialog, operating under the direction and control of the Russian presidential administration, and in particular first deputy chief of staff of the presidential executive office Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, used these domains, among others, to covertly spread Russian government propaganda with the aim of reducing international support for Ukraine, bolstering pro-Russian policies and interests, and influencing voters in US and foreign elections, including the US 2024 Presidential Election.
In conjunction with the domain seizures, the US Treasury Department announced the designation of ten individuals and two entities as part of a coordinated response to Russia’s malign influence efforts targeting the 2024 US presidential election. This announcement follows the designation of actors involved in Doppelganger announced by the Treasury Department in March. Read more here.
Additionally, employees of Russian State-Controlled Media Outlet deployed nearly $10 Million to publish RT-Curated Content, which garnered millions of views, through a Tennessee-Based Online Content Creation Company.
“The Justice Department has charged two employees of RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, in a $10 million scheme to create and distribute content to US audiences with hidden Russian government messaging,” said attorney-general Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to exploit our country’s free exchange of ideas in order to covertly further its own propaganda efforts, and our investigation into this matter remains ongoing.”
“Our approach to combating foreign malign influence is actor-driven, exposing the hidden hand of adversaries pulling strings of influence from behind the curtain,” said deputy attorney general Lisa Monaco. “As alleged in today’s indictment, Russian state broadcaster RT and its employees, including the charged defendants, co-opted online commentators by funneling them nearly $10 million to pump pro-Russia propaganda and disinformation across social media to US audiences. The Department will not tolerate foreign efforts to illegally manipulate American public opinion by sowing discord and division.” Read more here.
