Several conservative influencers in the US have found themselves at the center of an alleged Russian disinformation campaign, following accusations from the Biden administration regarding Moscow’s attempts to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential elections.
Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Benny Johnson have all released statements addressing allegations that a US content creation company they were associated with received nearly $10 million from Russian state media employees to publish videos promoting Russian interests and agenda, including over the war in Ukraine. The company, described as a Tennessee-based content creation firm with ties to high-profile conservative commentators, appears to match the profile of Tenet Media.
The justice department indictment did not name the company directly but revealed that it published English-language videos on various social media platforms without disclosing its ties to Russian state media. The influencers associated with the company, including Pool, Johnson, and Rubin, have all stated that they were unaware of any fraudulent activities and were victims of the scheme.
The indictment accuses two employees of the Russian state media company RT of covertly funding the Tennessee-based content company to publish pro-Russian videos without disclosing their funding source. The Biden administration’s actions included seizing Kremlin-run websites and charging Russian state media employees in an effort to combat Russian disinformation ahead of the presidential election.
Overall, the situation highlights the complexities of foreign influence in US media and the importance of transparency in content creation and funding sources. The influencers involved have all distanced themselves from the allegations and emphasized their lack of knowledge about the scheme.
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