‘Secret’ Russian influence campaign paid $10M to prop up right-wing US commentators: indictment
A Russian “covert” influence campaign is said to have paid $10 million to support media companies hosting what were seen as like-minded right-wing commentators in the US, including popular pundits such as Benny Johnson, Dave Rubin and Tim Pool.
Department of Justice Indicted Two employees of Russian state media outlet RT were arrested Wednesday on charges of acting as unregistered foreign agents and laundering $9.7 million into a Tennessee media company to promote pro-Kremlin propaganda.
The employees, Kostyantyntin Kalashnikov, 31, and Elena Afanasyeva, 27, are on the run after nearly a year of floating the media company that posted about 2,000 videos that garnered more than 16 million views on YouTube alone, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
A “covert” Russian influence campaign paid $10 million to support media companies that feature right-wing commentators in the US, including popular conservative pundits like Benny Johnson. Timothy Fadek
The indictment does not name the company or any of its associated content creators, but other details suggest the Nashville-based company Tenet MediaThe company's founders are said to have “misled” prominent conservative figures, including Johnson, Rubin and Poole.
The description of the company in the indictment matches Tenet's own description. Website It describes itself as “a network of heterodox commentators focusing on issues of Western politics and culture.”
Tennessee Department of State records also back up Tenet's claims. Incorporated as a business Jan. 19, 2022, the same date listed in the indictment.
The Justice Department on Wednesday charged two employees of Russian state-run RT media with acting as unregistered foreign agents and laundering $9.7 million in payments to a Tennessee media company to promote pro-Kremlin propaganda. Reuters
Other business records and identifying characteristics listed in the unsealed indictment include: Lauren Chen — Former RT commentator and current BlazeTV host and contributor to conservative news media. Turning Point USA — As co-founder of Tenet with her husband, Liam Donovan.
The YouTube subscriber counts of the two anonymous commentators listed in the filing match those of Johnson (2.4 million) or Rubin (2.4 million) and Poole (1.3 million).
Johnson and Rubin received a signing bonus of $100,000 and earned a monthly salary of $400,000, while Poole received $100,000 per video.
The YouTube subscriber count of one of the anonymous commentators listed in the filing matches that of Pool's page (1.3 million). Tim Pool/Instagram
Along with a third “Tenet” commentator, who has not been named, the conservative influencers made at least $8.7 million from “Tenet” between October 2023 and August 2024 via dozens of wire transfers from shell companies in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Mauritius.
These shell companies were initially funded by RT, and subsequent payments to Tenet were disguised not as salary payments but as payments for electronic goods such as “BUYING GOODS-INV.013-IPHONE 15 PRO MAX 512GB”.
Using fictional characters, Afanasyeva persuaded conservative firebrands to help her shoot, edit and post hundreds of videos that included commentary on immigration, inflation and other domestic and international policy issues.
Along with a third, unnamed Tenet commentator, the conservative influencers made at least $8.7 million from Tenet between October 2023 and August 2024.
“While the views expressed in the videos are not uniform, the themes and content of the videos are often consistent with the Russian government's interest in widening divisions within the United States in order to undermine U.S. opposition to the Russian government's core interests, including the ongoing war in Ukraine,” federal prosecutors wrote in the indictment.
In one example, Afanasyeva called on “Tenet” commentators to “blame Ukraine and the United States” for the ISIS terrorist attack at a Moscow concert hall in March 2024.
Afanasyeva invented a “highly skilled” investor named Eduard Grigorian as the Western expert behind the funding. justice.gov
Afanasyeva invented a “highly skilled” financier named Eduard Grigoryan as the Western expert behind the funding, but seemed troubled that either Johnson or Rubin listed him as proudly advocating for “social justice” causes in a forged copy of his CV.
“A year ago, a media startup approached my company about providing content to them as an independent contractor,” Johnson said in a statement to X. “Our lawyers negotiated a standard independent contract, which was later dissolved. We are troubled by the allegations in today's indictment. It is clear that I and other influencers were victims of this alleged scheme, and my lawyers will address anyone who asserts or suggests otherwise.”
“If these allegations prove true, I, along with other talent and commentators, have been deceived and victimized,” Poole said in a statement posted to X. “I cannot speak for the actions or direction of anyone else within the company.”
Other business records and identification features listed in the unsealed indictment indicate that former RT commentator Lauren Chen is a key founder of Tenet along with her husband. RT
“The Culture War Podcast is licensed by Tenet Media and existed long before any licensing agreement was signed with Tenet and will continue to exist after such agreement expires. The only change due to the agreement is that the location of the live broadcasts has moved to Tenet's YouTube channel,” he also said.
“No one other than me has ever had full editorial control of the show, and the content of the show is often non-political – for example, we discuss spirituality, dating and video games,” he added.
“The show is produced entirely by our local team, with no outside input,” he continued, emphasizing the distinction between the podcast and his popular show, “Timcast.”
Rubin retweeted a post from X that suggested influencers had been “misled” about where Tenet was being funded. Tenet Media
Rubin Retweeted X's post The influencers pointed out that they had been “misled” about the source of their funding.
A representative for Tenet Media did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
‘Secret’ Russian influence campaign paid $10M to prop up right-wing US commentators: indictment
A Russian “covert” influence campaign is said to have paid $10 million to support media companies hosting what were seen as like-minded right-wing commentators in the US, including popular pundits such as Benny Johnson, Dave Rubin and Tim Pool.
Department of Justice Indicted Two employees of Russian state media outlet RT were arrested Wednesday on charges of acting as unregistered foreign agents and laundering $9.7 million into a Tennessee media company to promote pro-Kremlin propaganda.
The employees, Kostyantyntin Kalashnikov, 31, and Elena Afanasyeva, 27, are on the run after nearly a year of floating the media company that posted about 2,000 videos that garnered more than 16 million views on YouTube alone, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
The indictment does not name the company or any of its associated content creators, but other details suggest the Nashville-based company Tenet MediaThe company's founders are said to have “misled” prominent conservative figures, including Johnson, Rubin and Poole.
The description of the company in the indictment matches Tenet's own description. Website It describes itself as “a network of heterodox commentators focusing on issues of Western politics and culture.”
Tennessee Department of State records also back up Tenet's claims. Incorporated as a business Jan. 19, 2022, the same date listed in the indictment.
Other business records and identifying characteristics listed in the unsealed indictment include: Lauren Chen — Former RT commentator and current BlazeTV host and contributor to conservative news media. Turning Point USA — As co-founder of Tenet with her husband, Liam Donovan.
The YouTube subscriber counts of the two anonymous commentators listed in the filing match those of Johnson (2.4 million) or Rubin (2.4 million) and Poole (1.3 million).
Johnson and Rubin received a signing bonus of $100,000 and earned a monthly salary of $400,000, while Poole received $100,000 per video.
Along with a third “Tenet” commentator, who has not been named, the conservative influencers made at least $8.7 million from “Tenet” between October 2023 and August 2024 via dozens of wire transfers from shell companies in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Mauritius.
These shell companies were initially funded by RT, and subsequent payments to Tenet were disguised not as salary payments but as payments for electronic goods such as “BUYING GOODS-INV.013-IPHONE 15 PRO MAX 512GB”.
Using fictional characters, Afanasyeva persuaded conservative firebrands to help her shoot, edit and post hundreds of videos that included commentary on immigration, inflation and other domestic and international policy issues.
“While the views expressed in the videos are not uniform, the themes and content of the videos are often consistent with the Russian government's interest in widening divisions within the United States in order to undermine U.S. opposition to the Russian government's core interests, including the ongoing war in Ukraine,” federal prosecutors wrote in the indictment.
In one example, Afanasyeva called on “Tenet” commentators to “blame Ukraine and the United States” for the ISIS terrorist attack at a Moscow concert hall in March 2024.
More videos Among the information Russian agents sought to amplify was former Fox News host Tucker Carlson's Visit to a Moscow supermarket.
Afanasyeva invented a “highly skilled” financier named Eduard Grigoryan as the Western expert behind the funding, but seemed troubled that either Johnson or Rubin listed him as proudly advocating for “social justice” causes in a forged copy of his CV.
“A year ago, a media startup approached my company about providing content to them as an independent contractor,” Johnson said in a statement to X. “Our lawyers negotiated a standard independent contract, which was later dissolved. We are troubled by the allegations in today's indictment. It is clear that I and other influencers were victims of this alleged scheme, and my lawyers will address anyone who asserts or suggests otherwise.”
“If these allegations prove true, I, along with other talent and commentators, have been deceived and victimized,” Poole said in a statement posted to X. “I cannot speak for the actions or direction of anyone else within the company.”
“The Culture War Podcast is licensed by Tenet Media and existed long before any licensing agreement was signed with Tenet and will continue to exist after such agreement expires. The only change due to the agreement is that the location of the live broadcasts has moved to Tenet's YouTube channel,” he also said.
“No one other than me has ever had full editorial control of the show, and the content of the show is often non-political – for example, we discuss spirituality, dating and video games,” he added.
“The show is produced entirely by our local team, with no outside input,” he continued, emphasizing the distinction between the podcast and his popular show, “Timcast.”
Rubin Retweeted X's post The influencers pointed out that they had been “misled” about the source of their funding.
A representative for Tenet Media did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Related News
Republicans consider another significant funding bill to boost military resources during the Iran conflict
Minnesota school districts provide incentives for teachers based on race.
Corporate America opposes this housing bill for a specific reason
Milwaukee bus driver hit an elderly man while dozing off at the wheel on Christmas Day
Operator offers retirement choices for small business owners.
Rams coach Sean McVay emerges as the true victor of the 2026 NFL offseason