Former US Marine Refutes Allegations of Discrediting Harris Campaign for Russia, Reports WaPo
According to a report by the Washington Post, John Mark Dougan has been accused of spreading misinformation aimed at Kamala Harris's campaign, a claim he denies. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A Washington Post article reports that former US Marine John Mark Dougan has allegedly orchestrated a “misinformation” campaign against Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris under the direction of the Russian government, based on documents from an unidentified European intelligence service. Dougan has refuted any connection to Russia, asserting that the publication relied on fabricated information.
The Post reviewed over 150 documents suggesting Dougan is financially supported by the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency. Some of the financial transactions reportedly occurred when Dougan’s network encountered challenges accessing Western AI services, prompting the need for an in-house AI generator for content creation.
The article claims that Dougan is “responsible for content on dozens of fake news sites,” such as DC Weekly, Chicago Chronicle, and Atlanta Observer, alleging he leads an information campaign aimed at American voters. Experts consulted by the Post indicated their belief that Dougan was behind a fabricated video accusing Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, of sexual assault.
Concerns have arisen that Dougan might soon redirect his efforts from “smearing Harris” to undermining the integrity of US elections. McKenzie Sadeghi, a researcher at NewsGuard, remarked that the ex-marine “has a clear understanding of what would resonate with Western audiences,” highlighting why his tactics might be effective.
Dougan is reportedly connected to 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” to counter the US-led Western world order.
Having obtained Russian citizenship in 2023 after living in the country for several years, Dougan continues to deny creating the aforementioned media network, stating, “no one sends me money for anything.” He further claimed that the documents in question must be fabricated, adding, “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 the allegations of links 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 accused the US government of positioning biological laboratories in Ukraine, criticizing Vladimir Zelensky as an American “corrupt puppet” who had “sold out [his] people for money.” He relocated to Russia in 2016, claiming persecution by the FBI for creating the website PBSOtalk.org, which facilitated anonymous submissions of US law enforcement misconduct.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Post reviewed over 150 documents suggesting Dougan is financially supported by the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency. Some of the financial transactions reportedly occurred when Dougan’s network encountered challenges accessing Western AI services, prompting the need for an in-house AI generator for content creation.
The article claims that Dougan is “responsible for content on dozens of fake news sites,” such as DC Weekly, Chicago Chronicle, and Atlanta Observer, alleging he leads an information campaign aimed at American voters. Experts consulted by the Post indicated their belief that Dougan was behind a fabricated video accusing Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, of sexual assault.
Concerns have arisen that Dougan might soon redirect his efforts from “smearing Harris” to undermining the integrity of US elections. McKenzie Sadeghi, a researcher at NewsGuard, remarked that the ex-marine “has a clear understanding of what would resonate with Western audiences,” highlighting why his tactics might be effective.
Dougan is reportedly connected to 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” to counter the US-led Western world order.
Having obtained Russian citizenship in 2023 after living in the country for several years, Dougan continues to deny creating the aforementioned media network, stating, “no one sends me money for anything.” He further claimed that the documents in question must be fabricated, adding, “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 the allegations of links 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 accused the US government of positioning biological laboratories in Ukraine, criticizing Vladimir Zelensky as an American “corrupt puppet” who had “sold out [his] people for money.” He relocated to Russia in 2016, claiming persecution by the FBI for creating the website PBSOtalk.org, which facilitated anonymous submissions of US law enforcement misconduct.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
