The United States indicted two employees of Russia’s RT and imposed sanctions on top editors of the state-funded news outlet, accusing them of seeking to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The Treasury Department sanctioned 10 individuals and two entities, including editor-in-chief Margarita Simonovna Simonyan and deputy Elizaveta Yuryevna Brodskaia. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen emphasized the government’s commitment to holding state-sponsored actors accountable for activities that undermine public trust in institutions and election integrity. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced indictments of two Russia-based RT employees in New York for money laundering and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Furthermore, the Justice Department seized 32 internet domains that the Russian government used to engage in covert campaigns to interfere in and influence U.S. elections. Garland suggested that members of President Putin’s “inner circle” had directed Russian public relations companies to promote disinformation and state-sponsored narratives to impact the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The U.S. has previously accused Russia of attempting to influence elections, with intelligence officials claiming Putin authorized influence operations in the 2016 election between Trump and Clinton. Simonyan and Brodskaia were named as key figures in Russian government malign influence efforts, with Brodskaia reportedly reporting to Russian President Putin and other government officials.
After the 2020 vote, U.S. intelligence officials accused Putin of authorizing influence operations to benefit Trump. The U.S. has repeatedly warned of foreign powers, including Russia, attempting to meddle in American elections. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines identified Russia, China, and Iran as the worst offenders in election interference but assured that the government was prepared to protect American democracy from foreign influence. Russia has been singled out as the most active foreign threat to U.S. elections. RT responded to the U.S. allegations by dismissing them as “hackneyed cliches” and highlighting the inevitable claims of the news outlet interfering in American elections.
In a reaction on its Telegram channel, RT stated that “Three things in life are inevitable: death, taxes and ‘RT’s interference in American elections’.” Despite the denial from RT, U.S. officials have remained vigilant about foreign attempts to influence American elections. The Treasury Department accused Simonyan and Brodskaia of playing significant roles in Russian government malign influence efforts, with Brodskaia directly reporting to Russian President Putin and other government officials. The Justice Department’s seizure of Russian government internet domains further underscored the U.S. government’s efforts to combat foreign election interference.
The U.S. has recognized the ongoing threat of foreign powers, particularly Russia, in meddling with American elections, dating back to the 2016 contest between Trump and Clinton. In the current indictment and sanctions, the Treasury Department targeted key figures in RT, including Simonyan and Brodskaia, for their involvement in activities undermining public trust and election integrity. The Justice Department’s actions to indict employees of Russia-based RT and seize internet domains used for covert campaigns highlight the government’s commitment to safeguarding American democracy against foreign influence. Despite denials from RT, the U.S. remains steadfast in holding state-sponsored actors accountable for undermining democratic principles and election systems.
