• Source:JND
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US on Wednesday accused two RT (formerly Russia Today) employees of the Kremlin's media arm, of secretly channelling nearly USD 10 million to create a covert Russian government-backed campaign to influence the presidential campaign.   

According to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the company is alleged to have received the funds as part of a plan to produce and distribute content to US audiences that concealed pro-Russian government messaging, as reported by CBS News. 

The indictment claims that Tenet Media failed to inform its audience that it was "funded and directed" by RT. Additionally, neither the company nor its founders registered with the Justice Department as agents of a foreign principal, as required by law.

Tenet Media lists six right-wing personalities, including Dave Rubin, Tim Pool, and Benny Johnson. 

Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Benny Johnson are accused of receiving funding that allegedly gave almost USD 10 million from Russian state media staff to produce pro-Moscow videos, including ones related to the war in Ukraine.

Although the Justice Department indictment does not specify the company, it refers to a content creation firm based in Tennessee with six commentators, identifying itself online as a platform for "heterodox commentators" discussing Western political and cultural topics, according to CBS News.

Tim Pool, Johnson, Rubin Releases Statement On Allegations

Accused conservative figures  have claimed to be "victims" of what they describe as a Russian disinformation campaign.

One of the accused, Benny Johnson, took to social media platform X and said he was “disturbed by the allegations in today’s indictment, which make clear that myself and other influencers were victims in this alleged scheme”.

Dave Rubin also posted on X that he “knew absolutely nothing about any of this fraudulent activity” and that the allegations showed “that I and other commentators were the victims of this scheme”.