US Attorney General Merrick Garland (centre) speaking during an Election Threats Task Force meeting at the Justice Department on Sept 4, 2024 in Washington, DC. Garland announced two actions against Russia for attempted covert influence operations. — AFP
NEW YORK: They have millions of followers online. They have been major players in right-wing political discourse since Donald Trump was president. And they worked unknowingly for a company that was a front for a Russian influence operation, US prosecutors say.
An indictment filed Wednesday alleges a media company linked to six conservative influencers – including well-known personalities Tim Pool, Dave Rubin and Benny Johnson – was secretly funded by Russian state media employees to churn out English-language videos that were “often consistent” with the Kremlin's “interest in amplifying US domestic divisions in order to weaken US opposition” to Russian interests, like its war in Ukraine.
