Federal officials have accused Russia of manipulating unwitting right-wing American influencers to distribute Kremlin propaganda ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The Justice Department recently charged two employees of RT, the Russian state media network, in a covert scheme aimed at secretly funding and directing the creation of social media videos that garnered millions of views.
The indicted staffers, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, face allegations of conspiracy to commit money laundering and violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. They are accused of channeling nearly $10 million to a Tennessee-based company that enlisted online influencers with significant followings.
“The company never disclosed its connections to RT or the Russian government to the influencers or their vast audiences,” stated Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Details in the indictment closely align with Nashville-based Tenet Media, which describes itself as “a network of heterodox commentators focused on Western political and cultural issues.” Founded in 2022, Tenet Media was established by conservative commentator Lauren Chen and her husband, Liam Donovan. Chen is notable for her contributions to conservative media platforms.
The indictment indicates that Tenet’s founders collaborated with Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva, who they knew were Russian, to recruit influencers to create videos across platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X. Nearly 2,000 YouTube videos produced by the company reportedly amassed over 16 million views, consistent with publicly available statistics on Tenet Media’s channel.
The charges come amid increasing concerns from U.S. intelligence officials regarding foreign interference aimed at influencing the electoral process. Recent actions included the seizure of 32 internet domains related to a separate Russian operation, while allegations regarding Iranian cyber activities targeting both political parties have surfaced.
What differentiates this operation is its success in reaching a genuine audience with credible influencers. Experts pointed out that authentic influencers are seen as more effective than fabricated personas due to their established audience trust.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, many U.S. cable providers stopped airing RT’s U.S. channel. The reported scheme allowed RT to bypass traditional media channels, ensuring their narratives infiltrated American households, according to the indictment.
Launched publicly in November 2023, Tenet Media’s featured contributors include prominent figures in right-wing media, producing content that often aligns with conservative talking points and reflects the Russian government’s apparent interests in amplifying domestic divisions within the U.S.
The indictment reveals that Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva worked with Tenet’s founders to obscure the true funding sources, claiming backing from a fictitious wealthy European banker named Eduard Grigoriann. Influencers involved were unaware of the Russian connections.
Some contributors have expressed they felt deceived by the alleged scheme. Statements circulated online have characterized them as victims of the unfolding situation. The indictment claims substantial payments were made to influencers, with one reportedly receiving $400,000 monthly along with signing bonuses for regular content creation.
Notably, Afanasyeva supposedly played a significant role in directing the company’s output and influencing content that reflected Kremlin narratives. The indictment suggests an incident where she instructed blame for a terrorist attack in Moscow on Ukraine, despite ISIS’s claim of responsibility. There are additional allegations that she directed content related to prominent figures, including a notable visit by a U.S. commentator to Russia.
Despite the allegations of external control over content, some contributors maintain that they retain full editorial independence in their work.
