New U.S. charges allege that a media company linked to six conservative influencers was a front for a Russian influence operation
Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks before a meeting of the Justice Department's Election Threats Task Force at the Department of Justice Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Washington. Also pictured is Deputy Attorney General, Criminal Division, Nicole Argentieri , Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco , FBI Director Christopher Wray and Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division, Matthew Olsen . NEW YORK — They have millions of followers online.
The U.S. Justice Department doesn’t allege any wrongdoing by the influencers, some of whom it says were given false information about the source of the company’s funding. Instead, it accuses two employees of RT, a Russian state media company, of funneling nearly $10 million to a Tennessee-based content creation company for Russia-friendly content.
U.S. officials have previously warned of Russia’s use of unwitting Americans to further influence operations in the 2024 election, but Wednesday’s indictment is the most detailed description of those efforts to date. Intelligence officials have said Moscow has a preference for Trump. Though the indictment does not name the Tennessee-based company, the details match up exactly with Tenet Media, an online media company that boasts of hosting “a network of heterodox commentators that focus on Western political and cultural issues.” Tenet’s website lists six influencers who provide content, including Pool, Johnson, Rubin, Lauren Southern, Tayler Hansen and Matt Christiansen.
The indictment shows that some of the influencers were paid handsomely for their work. One unidentified influencer’s contract included a $400,000 monthly fee, a $100,000 signing bonus and an additional performance bonus.
Right-Wing Influencers Social Media U.S. Politics Tenet Media Donald Trump Conspiracy Charges Political Misinformation
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