04/09/2024 – 18:49
Moscow allegedly used state media to spread fake news ahead of the presidential election, with Putin’s knowledge. Individuals and entities are targeted by sanctions, including the editor-in-chief of broadcaster RT. The United States government announced on Wednesday (04/09) the imposition of sanctions on ten Russian citizens and two entities accused of “efforts of harmful influence” aimed at generating interference in the next American presidential election, in November 2024.
Among those punished by the US Treasury Department are the editor-in-chief of the state broadcaster RT Margarita Simonyan and deputy editor Elizaveta Brodskaia.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the sanctions “underscore the administration’s ongoing efforts to hold state-sponsored actors accountable for activities intended to undermine public trust in our institutions.”
Margarita Simonyan and other individuals associated with the broadcaster allegedly recruited influencers to confuse public opinion on social media and spread pro-Kremlin messages.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said RT officials have been indicted in New York on charges of money laundering and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
These employees allegedly founded a Tennessee-based company to “disseminate content deemed favorable to the Russian government,” Garland says, and to hire the services of influencers who were supposed to “share content consistent with Russia’s interests in deepening internal divisions in the United States.”
The Tennessee-based company has produced nearly 2,000 videos on topics including immigration and inflation that have been viewed 16 million times on YouTube since November, the Justice Department says.
Internet domains
At the same time, the Department of Justice ordered the seizure of 32 internet domains “used by harmful influence campaigns sponsored by the Russian government,” says a note released by the agency.
“The closest circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin […] directed public relations firms to promote disinformation and state-sponsored narratives as part of a campaign to influence the 2024 presidential election,” Garland said.
“The Internet portals we seized today were full of Russian government propaganda created by the Kremlin to reduce international support for Ukraine, push policies favorable to Russian interests, and influence voters in the United States and other countries.”
RT dismissed the accusations as “banal clichés” on its Telegram channel.
Putin aware of RT’s actions
The White House said President Putin was aware of RT’s efforts to influence the U.S. election. “We believe Mr. Putin was aware of these efforts,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. “He was aware of RT’s activities.”
This is not the first time that US officials have accused Moscow of interfering in its elections. A report by US intelligence agencies claims that Russia tried to interfere in the 2020 election in favor of then-President Donald Trump, who was seeking re-election but was ultimately defeated by Joe Biden.
US security officials believe Russia also intervened on Trump’s behalf in the 2016 presidential election. A special panel set up to investigate the case suggested there was collusion between Trump and the Kremlin, but found no sufficient evidence.
rc (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
#accuses #Russian #media #interfering #elections
