Russia’s Influence on American Political Commentary

TENET Media, a prominent right-wing news and commentary organization that features the likes of Tim Pool and Dave Rubin, seems to appear in a Department of Justice indictment that claims the organization received nearly $10 million from Russian state propaganda outlet Russia Today. Two fugitive suspects who allegedly arranged the TENET Media payments are charged with conspiring to commit money laundering and illegally avoiding registration as foreign agents. While the indictment does not mention TENET by name, the company in question has quotes that match those on TENET’s website, and the date of the company’s incorporation matches that of TENET. According to the DOJ indictment, this company was wired a total of $9.7 million from several shell companies across Turkey, the UAE, and Mauritius on behalf of Russia Today. The DOJ alleges that these contributions were a prominent source of income for TENET, as they made up the vast majority of their bank deposits since their launch around ten months ago. In return for these contributions, TENET pundits were allegedly directed to push pro-Russian talking points, including blaming the Moscow music festival terrorist attack, for which ISIS claimed responsibility, on Ukrainian and American activity.
This news comes as Russian propaganda efforts, aimed at influencing the 2024 election and moving American sentiment against support for Ukraine, has been increasing. The indictment was unsealed in tandem with a press conference by Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray, who announced an effort to crack down on illicit Russian election influence. Although Russia Today has been banned from conducting formal business in the US since the start of the Russia-Ukraine War, the company has allegedly developed a web of influence aimed at pushing pro-Russian sentiments in American media. In addition to these charges, the FBI seized several financial assets and internet domains that allegedly were being unlawfully used by Russian operatives.

IB Connections:

Sovereignty – Other nations are attempting to violate the America’s jurisdiction over its own elections, which can be considered a violation of sovereignty.

Legitimacy – To what extent can views espoused by a foreign nation be considered legitimate? Are processes like elections still considered legitimate if they are under the influence of foreign interest?

Liberty – States have an obligation to balance the freedoms of citizens with protecting their democratic processes. In some cases, preventing election tampering may be seen as hindering liberties such as free speech.