US accuses Russian state media of meddling in 2024 election

The US government has sanctioned several Russian individuals and entities for "malign influence efforts" aimed at interfering with the US presidential election in November, the Treasury Department announced Wednesday.

Among the 10 individuals and two entities sanctioned by the Treasury Department are Margarita Simonyan, the head of the state-funded television channel RT formerly known as Russia Today, and Elizaveta Brodskaia, the deputy editor-in-chief.

"Today's action underscores the US government's ongoing efforts to hold state-sponsored actors accountable for activities that aim to deteriorate public trust in our institutions," said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

The US Treasury Department said Simonyan and others affiliated with the network covertly recruited social media influencers to sway US public opinion and spread pro-Kremlin messages.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland also said that two Russia-based RT employees have been indicted in New York on charges of money laundering and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

They are accused of funding a Tennessee-based company "to disseminate content deemed favorable to the Russian government," Garland said, and contracting US-based social media influencers to share content "consistent with Russia's interest in amplifying US domestic divisions."

The Tennessee company has produced nearly 2,000 videos on topics such as immigration and inflation that have been viewed 16 million times on YouTube since last November, according to the Justice Department.

US orders 32 domains to be seized

The Justice Department has also ordered the seizure of 32 domains "used in Russian government-directed foreign malign influence campaigns," it said in a statement.

"[Russian] President Vladimir Putin's inner circle [...] directed Russian public relations companies to promote disinformation and state-sponsored narratives as part of a campaign to influence the 2024 US presidential election," said Garland.

"The sites we are seizing today were filled with Russian government propaganda that had been created by the Kremlin to reduce international support for Ukraine, bolster pro-Russian policies and interests and influence voters in the United States and other countries," Garland added.

Russia says its response will make 'everyone shudder'

RT dismissed the US allegations, calling them "hackneyed cliches" on its Telegram channel.

And on Thursday, Russia said that the US sanctions placed on RT would be met with a response that will make "everyone shudder." 

"It is an obvious operation, an information campaign ... that was long prepared and that is needed ahead of the last stage of the electoral cycle," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state news agency RIA Novosti.

White House says Putin aware of RT's actions

The White House has said President Putin was aware of actions by the state-funded RT news network to influence the 2024 US presidential election.

"We believe Mr. Putin was witting of these actions," said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. "He was witting of RT's activities."

This is not the first time that US officials have accused Moscow of election interference. According to a published report by US intelligence agencies, Russia tried to influence the 2020 presidential election in favor of Republican candidate Donald Trump.

In the 2016 election, US security officials were also convinced that Russia intervened in favor of Trump. A special counsel later investigated possible illegal collusion between Russia and Trump's team, but found insufficient evidence.

dh, jsi/jcg (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)