Russian Disinformation Campaign Targets Tim Walz

U.S. intelligence officials have identified a Russian disinformation campaign targeting Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, involving a fake video accusing him of past sexual misconduct. This video, viewed over 5 million times before being removed, falsely claimed to feature a former student of Walz's. The real individual, Matthew Metro, confirmed that he was not taught by Walz and had never made such allegations. John Mark Dougan, a former U.S. marine working with Russian military intelligence, is believed to have played a significant role in spreading this misinformation. The campaign is part of broader Russian efforts to interfere in the U.S. election, favoring Donald Trump and seeking to sow discord. These operations utilize AI technology to amplify false narratives, with potential escalation as Election Day approaches.