US Indicts Russians for $10M Propaganda Fraud

The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted two Russian nationals, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, for allegedly using RT (formerly Russia Today) to funnel nearly $10 million through shell companies to Tenet Media, a Tennessee-based firm, to spread anti-U.S. and anti-Ukraine propaganda. Tenet Media, founded by Lauren Chen and Liam Donovan, employed prominent right-wing influencers like Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Benny Johnson, who claim they were unaware of the true source of their funding. The indictment asserts that the funds were laundered through entities in the Middle East and Africa, and the influencers were misled by a fictitious investor named Eduard Grigoriann. U.S. officials allege this disinformation campaign aimed to amplify domestic divisions in the U.S., benefiting Russian interests. Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray have condemned these actions, emphasizing ongoing investigations.