DOJ alleges Russia funded US media company linked to right-wing social media stars

According to a United States official who was briefed on the matter, Tenet Media is the unnamed Tennessee-based company that the Justice Department alleges was being funded by Russian operatives working as part of a Kremlin-orchestrated influence operation targeting the 2024 election in the United States. The official was briefed on the matter. There is a connection between Tenet Media and right-wing broadcasters who have millions of fans on YouTube and other social media platforms for their content.

Two workers at RT, the Kremlin’s media branch, were charged in an indictment unsealed in New York’s Southern District with transferring close to $10 million to an unnamed business that was only referred to as “Company 1” in court records.

Independent confirmation from CNN indicates that Tenet Media, a platform for independent content makers, is “Company 1.” On its website, it describes itself as a “network of heterodox commentators that focus on Western political and cultural issues,” a description that aligns with the wording in the just made public indictment.

Prosecutors said that one of the operation’s objectives was to promote narratives that were favorable to Russia, namely by disseminating news items and information that favored Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and other individuals the Kremlin considered to be more suited to its objectives.

Additionally, according to the indictment, Company 1’s website has six commenters.

Right-wing celebrities Tim Pool and Benny Johnson are mentioned as analysts on Tenet Media’s website. Millions of people follow both on social media sites like YouTube. Pool had a May podcast interview with Trump.

Johnson and Pool stated they were victims of the purported scam and that they still had editorial control over the material they had developed in separate declarations that were made public on Wednesday.

Johnson posted on X, saying, “We are disturbed by the allegations in today’s indictment, which make clear that myself and other influencers were victims in this alleged scheme.”

“If these claims turn out to be accurate, then I, along with the other celebrities and commentators, were duped and are victims,” stated Pool on X. He said, “The show is produced entirely by our local team without input from anyone outside the company.”

The Biden administration unveiled a broad range of measures on Wednesday to counter a significant attempt by the Russian government to influence the US presidential election in 2024. These measures included the seizure of 32 internet domains and the imposition of penalties on ten people and organizations.

Lisa Monaco, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, issued a statement in which she said that three Russian companies had used bogus personas in order to propagate false narratives on social media at the specific request of Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. One of the goals of the propaganda operation was to promote Trump’s campaign, or the candidacy of the ultimate Republican nominee for president, according to an affidavit filed by the FBI. That information was revealed in internal documents from one of those Russian companies.

These actions, when coupled with the prosecution of RT staffers, represent the most extensive public reaction that the Biden administration has taken to date in response to alleged Russian influence attempts aimed at American voters. Ahead of the announcements, people familiar with the situation told CNN that the measures taken on Wednesday serve as a reminder that the United States government continues to consider Russia as a serious foreign influence danger to the election that will take place in November. Iran was accused by the United States Government of trying to hack both the Trump campaign and the Biden-Harris campaign last month.