Ex-US marine discrediting Harris campaign on behalf of Russia, reports WaPo
According to a report by the Washington Post, John Mark Dougan is accused of spreading misinformation about Kamala Harris's campaign, a charge he refutes. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A former US marine, John Mark Dougan, is alleged to have orchestrated a “misinformation” campaign targeting the team of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, with claims that this was done at the instigation of Russia, as reported by the Washington Post, which cited documents from an undisclosed European intelligence source. Dougan has refuted any connections to the Russian government, stating that the paper is relying on fabricated materials.
The Post's review of more than 150 documents suggests that Dougan is financially supported by the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence, with some transactions reportedly occurring during periods when his network struggled to access Western AI services, necessitating the development of an in-house AI generator for content creation.
The publication claims that Dougan is “responsible for content on dozens of fake news sites,” including platforms such as DC Weekly, Chicago Chronicle, and Atlanta Observer. He is accused of leading a campaign that targets American voters with misinformation. Experts consulted by the Post expressed that Dougan likely played a role in producing a fake video that accused Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, of sexual assault.
Concerns have arisen that Dougan might soon shift his efforts from “smearing Harris” to undermining the integrity of US elections. McKenzie Sadeghi, a researcher at NewsGuard, noted that the ex-marine “has a clear understanding of what would resonate with Western audiences,” which likely contributes to the effectiveness of his campaign.
Dougan is reportedly associated with GRU officer Yury Khoroshenky and receives support from an institute led by Alexandr Dugin, a Russian philosopher and political commentator advocating for a “Euro-Asian empire” designed to oppose the US-led Western world order.
Having obtained Russian citizenship in 2023 after residing in Russia for several years, Dougan has denied involvement in the aforementioned media network and maintains that “no one sends me money for anything.” He suggested that the documents must have been fabricated, stating, “Hypothetically, if they were my sites, then I am merely fighting fire with fire because the West is f*****g lying about everything that’s happening.”
Dugin also rejected claims of ties to Russian intelligence, asserting that “any suggestion about… attempts to manipulate foreign journalists or influence the political landscape in the US are completely unjustified.”
Previously, Dougan alleged that the US government has established biological laboratories in Ukraine while condemning Vladimir Zelensky as an American “corrupt puppet” who had “sold out [his] people for money.” Dougan fled to Russia in 2016, claiming he was being persecuted by the FBI for launching the website PBSOtalk.org, which permitted users to anonymously report instances of violations by US law enforcement.
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Post's review of more than 150 documents suggests that Dougan is financially supported by the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence, with some transactions reportedly occurring during periods when his network struggled to access Western AI services, necessitating the development of an in-house AI generator for content creation.
The publication claims that Dougan is “responsible for content on dozens of fake news sites,” including platforms such as DC Weekly, Chicago Chronicle, and Atlanta Observer. He is accused of leading a campaign that targets American voters with misinformation. Experts consulted by the Post expressed that Dougan likely played a role in producing a fake video that accused Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, of sexual assault.
Concerns have arisen that Dougan might soon shift his efforts from “smearing Harris” to undermining the integrity of US elections. McKenzie Sadeghi, a researcher at NewsGuard, noted that the ex-marine “has a clear understanding of what would resonate with Western audiences,” which likely contributes to the effectiveness of his campaign.
Dougan is reportedly associated with GRU officer Yury Khoroshenky and receives support from an institute led by Alexandr Dugin, a Russian philosopher and political commentator advocating for a “Euro-Asian empire” designed to oppose the US-led Western world order.
Having obtained Russian citizenship in 2023 after residing in Russia for several years, Dougan has denied involvement in the aforementioned media network and maintains that “no one sends me money for anything.” He suggested that the documents must have been fabricated, stating, “Hypothetically, if they were my sites, then I am merely fighting fire with fire because the West is f*****g lying about everything that’s happening.”
Dugin also rejected claims of ties to Russian intelligence, asserting that “any suggestion about… attempts to manipulate foreign journalists or influence the political landscape in the US are completely unjustified.”
Previously, Dougan alleged that the US government has established biological laboratories in Ukraine while condemning Vladimir Zelensky as an American “corrupt puppet” who had “sold out [his] people for money.” Dougan fled to Russia in 2016, claiming he was being persecuted by the FBI for launching the website PBSOtalk.org, which permitted users to anonymously report instances of violations by US law enforcement.
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
