The Justice Department has announced the disruption of two covert foreign malign influence campaigns backed by the Russian government and targeted at impacting the 2024 election and spreading propaganda in support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
DOJ indicted two employees from media outlet Russia Today over a “$10 million scheme to create and distribute content to U.S. audiences with hidden Russian government messaging,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a Wednesday release.
“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,” Garland said.
A second DOJ operation unveiled on Wednesday seized 32 internet domains, colloquially known as “Doppelganger,” under control of three Russian companies that “covertly spread Russian government propaganda with the aim of reducing international support for Ukraine, bolstering pro-Russian policies and interests, and influencing voters in U.S. and foreign elections, including the U.S. 2024 Presidential Election,” according to a DOJ release on the unsealed affidavit.
FBI Director Christopher Wray weighed in on the influence campaigns at a Wednesday meeting of the DOJ Election Threats Task Force.
On the domain seizure, Wray said, “As of noon today, we’ve seized those sites, rendered them inoperable, and made clear to the world what they are: Russian attempts to interfere in our elections and influence our society.”
The Treasury Department also took action against RT on Wednesday by designating 10 individuals who work for the Russian media company over being controlled or acting on behalf of the Russian government.
Treasury said in a release, “Beginning in early 2024, executives at RT -- Russia’s state-funded news media outlet -- began an even more nefarious effort to covertly recruit unwitting American influencers in support of their malign influence campaign. RT used a front company to disguise its own involvement or the involvement of the Russian government in content meant to influence U.S. audiences.”
“Today’s action underscores the U.S. government’s ongoing efforts to hold state-sponsored actors accountable for activities that aim to deteriorate public trust in our institutions. Treasury will not waver in our commitment to safeguarding our democratic principles and the integrity of our election systems,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.
The coordinated efforts by DOJ and Treasury come at a time when the intelligence community and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are on high alert to support state and local election officials in their efforts to prepare for the November elections.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI and CISA in August confirmed efforts by Iran-backed actors to influence the November elections in a joint statement over observed activity impacting political campaigns.
