Image Credit: The Justice Department / YouTube
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed an indictment claiming two Russian nationals employed by RT (a Russian government-controlled and funded media outlet formerly known as Russia Today) managed an operation out of Moscow using fake identities and shell corporations to deceive the American people into receiving Russian propaganda without their knowledge.
According to the court documents, the two RT employees funneled nearly $10 million to “covertly finance and direct a Tennessee-based online content creation company”.
In the official DOJ press release regarding the matter, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, “As alleged, the Russian state broadcaster RT orchestrated a massive scheme to influence the American public by secretly planting and financing a content creation company on U.S. soil.”
The Tennessee-based company, though alleged to be Tenet Media by several media outlets based on some language found on Tenet’s website, is referred to only as U.S. Company-1 (Company-1) throughout the documents.
Other outlets claim the company is home to “right-wing” and “conservative leaning” commentators and content and seem to be only focusing on the conservative leanings of the company and the stopping the spread of “misinformation” promoted by Tenet, versus the unsettling idea that a foreign government agency was supposedly able to operate on American soil for such a length of time.
This indictment was also unsealed just days before Russian President Vladimir Putin seemingly endorsed Kamala Harris for President, switching his preference from Joe Biden after his withdrawal from the Presidential race.
Benny Johnson, a well-known conservative figure, posted on X regarding the indictment, claiming that he and the other influencers hosted by Tenet Media were, “victims of this alleged scheme,” and states that his standard contract with Tenet Media had been terminated before the indictment.
U.S. Company-1 reportedly posted videos to various social media platforms via conservative influencers and content creators with “Kremlin-approved” commentary on U.S. political issues and events. U.S. Company-1’s YouTube account has approximately 2,000 videos posted, garnering more than 16 million views.
To facilitate the alleged fraud, the two Russian nationals, named as Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva joined Company-1 under false identities, with Kalashnikov acting as an outside editor also responsible for monitoring the company’s funding and hiring. He then introduced Afanasyeva as a member of the purported editing team, who created additional fake personas to post and direct the posting by U.S. Company-1 along with instructing company staff.
Additionally, for almost a year between October 2023 to August 2024, RT allegedly sent wire transfers to U.S. Company-1 via shell companies in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Mauritius which supposedly amounted to nearly 90% of U.S. Company-1’s bank deposits.
According to the indictment, Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva are charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by never disclosing to U.S. Company-1’s viewers that it was funded and directed by RT, and U.S. Company-1’s failure to register with the Attorney General as an agent of a foreign principal.
These violations carry a sentence of up to five years in prison, and the additional charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering carries a separate sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
No Americans are being charged in relation to this supposed “collusion” as of this writing, and that fact, along with the charges specifying conspiracy, lend credence to the idea that this deception may be more related to fraud than collusion. The FBI is currently investigating the case as the 2024 Presidential election draws near.
The DOJ ends their statement with a reminder that, “an indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroot organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
3 Responses
Every since Bill Clinton stiffed the Russian people after their hope filled breakup with the Soviet Union, and the democrats assisted Islamic terrorist to establish themselves in Slavic nations against the desires of Russians, who were well aware of the Islamic Terror threat, the democrats have pushed a false narrative while supporting Islamic terror, Marxism and societal wrecking social programs. We the people of this free nation have more in common with the Russian people than with Partisan Democrats here in the USA. The Russian people want affordable food and homes, freedom from terror attacks by Marxist and Islamic Terrorist and communities safe from crime and anti God evil influences on our children. Democrats push for war, hate of our country and our history, violating our free speech, misdirection/misinformation, Marxist/socialist ideals and policy, and destroying Churches and traditional morality/values, along with suppression of free speech, stealing elections, aiding/abetting crimes and using hate/racism to advance themselves. In fact the democrats remind me more of the old Soviet Marxist rather than The Russian people of today do. The ties to the CCP/Red China including cash and gift trails to Democrats in particular (though some lead to RINOs) is well known and some, well documented, including directly to Biden’s regime and their democrat partisans. Add all this to the fact, that the democrat party supports murdering viable babies and want to make it a government subsidized industry without restrictions. No person can claim to be a Christian while supporting murder/abortion of living viable babies… That is outside of politics, it is a moral law for Christians to honor Jesus and God’s word. The gospel of Christ does not allow the murder of innocents for convenience or gold. Add to this, that they are driving us to economic ruin, wrecking the economy for working class citizens, along with education that they seek to use as indoctrination and mind control centers to advance their initiatives and perversions. All this makes this not a republican versus democrat issue, regarding the Presidential election, but a good versus evil, God versus satanic issue. Vote your Faith in Christ and belief in the Holy Bible, not partisan. This election holds decency, law, freedom but above all , supports God on the conservative side and on the other…..
How interesting that just as Kammie the Kammunist is sinking like a lead balloon in the polls, there’s suddenly a “Russia, Russia, Russia” revival… Hmmm… Meanwhile, all of the Dems – Biden/Pelosi/et al, and their dysfunctional spawn continue to receive the spoils from their ventures in Ukraine – completely untouched… Hmmm…
I read today that Putin has endorsed Kamala. Not kidding. It makes perfect sense – she will keep oil prices high and that is the # 1 source of cash for Russia.