Attorney General Merrick Garland, center, speaks before a meeting of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, at the Department of Justice, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Washington, with from left, Deputy Attorney General, Criminal Division, Nicole Argentieri, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division, Matthew Olsen. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
WASHINGTON – Russia has long sought to inject disinformation into U.S. political discourse. Now, it’s got a new angle: paying Americans to do the work.
This week’s indictment of two Russian state media employees on charges that they paid a Tennessee company to create pro-Russian content has renewed concerns about foreign meddling in the November election while revealing the Kremlin’s latest tactic in a growing information war.
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If the allegations prove correct, they represent a significant escalation, analysts say, and likely capture only a small piece of a larger Russian effort to sway the election.
“We have seen the smoke for years. Now, here’s the fire,” said Jim Ludes, a former national defense analyst who now leads the Pell Center for International Relations at Salve Regina University. “I don’t wonder if they’re doing more of this. I have no doubt.
American company, Russian propaganda: New Kremlin tactic reveals escalating effort to sway US vote
