Russia today executives accused of influencing US elections with millions

The Federal Court of the Southern District of New York has accused employees of the television network Russia Today, the Kremlin's media arm, of transferring multimillion-dollar funds to the American media "Company 1." This was allegedly meant to influence the upcoming elections in the United States. Sanctions have been imposed on several individuals associated with Russian media.

The indictment accuses two agents of Russia Today of transferring nearly $10 million to what is referred to in court documents as "Company 1". CNN discovered that it is Tenet Media, based in Tennessee.

CNN cites a government official who claims that Tenet Media is connected to right-wing commentators who have millions of subscribers on YouTube and other social media platforms. Tenet Media describes itself on its website as a "network of heterodox commentators that focus on Western political and cultural issues."

According to federal prosecutors, the goal of the operation was to support pro-Russian narratives, partly by promoting content and press articles favourable to the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and others whom the Kremlin deemed friendly to its interests.

"Among the commentators listed on Tenet Media’s website are right-wing personalities Benny Johnson and Tim Pool. Both have millions of subscribers on YouTube and other social media platforms. Pool interviewed Trump on his podcast in May," CNN notes.

Johnson and Pool have stated that they are victims of the alleged conspiracy and assured that they maintained editorial control over the content they created.

As the U.S. Department of the Treasury reported, sanctions have been imposed on several individuals associated with Russian media. These include measures such as "all property and interests in property of the designated individuals (...), that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are blocked and must be reported."

Among those sanctioned is Russia Today editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan. She is accused of being a "central figure in the Russian government's efforts to exert malign influence."

Source: PAP, U.S. Department of the Treasury