US Justice Department Announces Lawsuit Against RT
Two employees of the Russian network face criminal charges, while four additional individuals have been sanctioned. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Two individuals recognized as employees of the Russian network have been criminally charged, and four others have faced sanctions.
The US Department of Justice has brought charges against two Russians, identified as employees of RT, for money laundering and functioning as foreign agents due to their alleged involvement in disseminating video content that created “discord and division” within the US.
In an indictment made public on Wednesday, US prosecutors alleged that Konstantin Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva financed and managed a production company based in Tennessee that released English-language videos across various social media platforms, aimed at exacerbating “domestic divisions in the United States.”
The indictment claimed these videos garnered over 16 million views on YouTube alone and, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray, represented a strategy to “trick Americans into unwittingly consuming foreign propaganda.”
While producing videos that showcase social and political divisions in the US isn't inherently illegal, the Justice Department asserted that Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva violated the law by failing to register as foreign agents.
In 2017, the Department of Justice compelled the now-defunct RT America to register as a foreign agent, following claims from multiple US intelligence agencies that RT contributed to Donald Trump's election by publishing “negative coverage” of Hillary Clinton and criticizing the US’ “corrupt political establishment.”
Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva could face a maximum of five years in prison for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, in addition to 20 years for money laundering. Nevertheless, the likelihood of these charges being proven in an American court appears slim, as the US lacks an extradition treaty with Russia.
Additionally, the US Treasury Department sanctioned the two Russians on Wednesday, along with RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan and three other senior RT employees. Simonyan scoffed at the charges, commenting “great job, team!” on Telegram.
During a press conference on Wednesday, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the allegations against Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva, alongside a separate Russian initiative purportedly aimed at spreading anti-Ukraine content online, “make clear the ends to which the Russian government, including at its highest levels, is willing to go to undermine our democratic process.”
Simonyan mocked US officials for asserting—yet again—that RT is interfering in American politics for the third election in a row. “If they kick us out completely, how will they conduct the next elections?” she stated in a subsequent Telegram post. “They don’t have any other strategies except to scaremonger about the almighty RT.”
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
The US Department of Justice has brought charges against two Russians, identified as employees of RT, for money laundering and functioning as foreign agents due to their alleged involvement in disseminating video content that created “discord and division” within the US.
In an indictment made public on Wednesday, US prosecutors alleged that Konstantin Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva financed and managed a production company based in Tennessee that released English-language videos across various social media platforms, aimed at exacerbating “domestic divisions in the United States.”
The indictment claimed these videos garnered over 16 million views on YouTube alone and, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray, represented a strategy to “trick Americans into unwittingly consuming foreign propaganda.”
While producing videos that showcase social and political divisions in the US isn't inherently illegal, the Justice Department asserted that Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva violated the law by failing to register as foreign agents.
In 2017, the Department of Justice compelled the now-defunct RT America to register as a foreign agent, following claims from multiple US intelligence agencies that RT contributed to Donald Trump's election by publishing “negative coverage” of Hillary Clinton and criticizing the US’ “corrupt political establishment.”
Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva could face a maximum of five years in prison for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, in addition to 20 years for money laundering. Nevertheless, the likelihood of these charges being proven in an American court appears slim, as the US lacks an extradition treaty with Russia.
Additionally, the US Treasury Department sanctioned the two Russians on Wednesday, along with RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan and three other senior RT employees. Simonyan scoffed at the charges, commenting “great job, team!” on Telegram.
During a press conference on Wednesday, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the allegations against Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva, alongside a separate Russian initiative purportedly aimed at spreading anti-Ukraine content online, “make clear the ends to which the Russian government, including at its highest levels, is willing to go to undermine our democratic process.”
Simonyan mocked US officials for asserting—yet again—that RT is interfering in American politics for the third election in a row. “If they kick us out completely, how will they conduct the next elections?” she stated in a subsequent Telegram post. “They don’t have any other strategies except to scaremonger about the almighty RT.”
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
