Popular Conservatives Allegedly Tricked Into $10M Russian Influence Campaign: DOJ

The DOJ has accused several conservative influencers of unwittingly working for a Kremlin-funded media outlet.

A federal indictment unsealed on Wednesday alleges that a Tennessee-based media company, later identified as Tenet Media, received nearly $10 million from employees of Russian state-backed media company, Russia Today (RT), as part of "a scheme to create and distribute content to U.S. audiences with hidden Russian government messaging."

he DOJ claims that RT and two of its employees - Kostiantyn “Kostya” Kalashnikov and Elena “Lena” Afanasyeva - worked to funnel money to Tenet Media as part of a series of "covert projects" aimed at shaping narratives within Western audiences.