Russian woman charged with attempted meddling in upcoming U.S. midterms
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A Russian woman who works for an oligarch close to Russian President Vladamir Putin has been charged with attempting to meddle in the 2018 midterm election.
The charges, filed Friday in the Eastern District of Virginia, accuse Elena A. Khusyaynova of St. Petersburg with using social media platforms to create thousands of social media and e-mail accounts — appearing to be from people in the U.S. — to "create and amplify divisive social media and political content." The case is not being brought by special counsel Robert Mueller's team.
Among the other topics were gun control, gay rights, the women's march and the NFL national anthem debate. They also keyed off specific events, including the Las Vegas shooting and the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The content adopted several viewpoints, not just one, court documents said.
Among the politicians attacked were John McCain, Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio, Mitch McConnell and former President Barack Obama.
Khusyaynova's operation also targeted Mueller, pushing out an article published by the right-wing website WorldNetDaily that was titled, "The 8 Dirtiest Scandals of Robert Mueller No One Is Talking About," the criminal complaint said.
However, one account seemed to support Mueller. "Dear @realDonaldTrump: The DOJ indicted 13 Russian nationals at the Internet Research Agency for violating federal criminal law to help your campaign and hurt other campaigns," a Twitter account allegedly belonging to the Russian group, "@JemiSHaaZzz", posted on February 16. "Still think this Russia thing is a hoax and a witch hunt? Because lots of witches just got indicted."
The influence campaign worked to create "political intensity through supporting radical groups" and to "aggravate the conflict between minorities and the rest of the population," according to federal prosecutors.
Court documents include photos of phony "memes" planted in this Russian effort
"The strategic goal of this alleged conspiracy, which continues to this day, is to sow discord in the U.S. political system and to undermine faith in our democratic institutions," said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Prosecutors said Khusyaynova, 44, is the chief accountant for a Russian umbrella effort called Project Lakhta, funded by a Russian oligarch whose Concord companies were named in the July indictment brought by Mueller involving attempted meddling in the 2016 election.
The complaint says that Concord spent approximately $12 million U.S. dollars for their efforts during 2016 and in February of 2017 they allegedly spent $1.2 million alone on such things as social media network advertisements and IT expenses.
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Just when we thought there was nothing worse than a hanging chad, we are only beginning to get how much interference there can be in our elections. Question is, have we done it back to them? Better question is how do we fix this.
How do we fix this??
Good Lord, if well meaning 'centrists' like you and Steve don't know the answer, it will never be fixed.
Gee Lenny you certainly are a study in contradictions lately. Just a few posts ago you said I wasn't very bright now you ask me and the centrists like myself to have the answers you dont seem to have yourself.
I'll humor ya though just for kicks, Remember the old saying that no one really wants to hear or talk about today, the one that is kinda a mainstay to me as a centrest independant at least. It's "United we stand , devided we fall"
Simple eh ? You bet, the mean to it though is kinda hidden, Part of the meaning to me is; divide and conquer is one of he easiest ways for a government to fail.
At this time America is so devided we cant even decide if outside interference is even happening. Ha, it seems to the leader of the party currently holding the majority of the power isn't too focused on stopping either, the division or outside interference, at least now he is at least acknowledging we had a problem the last election cycle. That's a start.
IMO: America will never be as great of a country as we could be as long as we have so many people who prefer division over cooperation.
Ya really Want to fix the problems with this nation and make it Great again ? Start with yourselves, the people of Both parties dividing us up giving outsiders a better opportunity to conquer us.
So, Lenny, I'm kind interested, what's your answer to the problem ?
Wow, it's simply stunning that anyone can look at what's happening in America and not see what has to be done about it. You have no idea how depressing that question is to me, it's like there truly is no hope...sorry about what I said before.
"Both siders" are an embarrassment to this country. They are not yet the embarrassment that Trump supporters are, but with every passing day they are getting there.
A night or two ago Donald Trump both bragged about his candidate violently attacking a reporter , and, riled up his crowd with claims that the Democrats are a violent mob.
He says idiotic things like this every day, and you have the delusionary ability to claim that the people in his audience, cheering this moron on, are no worse than the people who oppose Trump.
divide and conquer is one of he easiest ways for a government to fail.
At this time America is so devided we cant even decide if outside interference is even happening
Really? Looks like someone switched to Fox News full time.
Really !
At this time America is so devided we cant even decide if outside interference is even happening.....
Really.. at least now their leader is at least acknowledging we had a problem the last election cycle. That's a start. (As I stated)
Looks like someone switched to Fox News full time.
................................
LOL How would that even be possible ? Especially when I cut the cable a year ago that brought fox and their friends into my home..
Please enlighten me.
sorry about what I said before.
Apology accepted. we're good. Thanks
“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.”
Eric Holder told a crowd..“ When they go low, we kick them.”
.................................
I support NEITHER party, many more do. Not My problem except I live in America.
My hope is on the youth of today, already many are standing up to what they believe is wrong with our government.
and thank you for the kind words
These kind of comments are an embarrassment to this site.
Boy you do seem to hold a grudge John. Someday maybe your realise we are actually on the same side in some to many issues.
So, Please explain how you believe recognising the reality of a situation is embarrassing ?
"it seems to the leader of the party currently holding the majority of the power isn't too focused on stopping either, the division or outside interference, at least now he is at least acknowledging we had a problem the last election cycle. That's a start."
Or at least point out what you believe in this statement is an embarrassment to America .
(accept the reality of what it describes)
Or IF you just believe its a false statement say so.
and do try to have a nice day, I know I intend to.
"Both siders", which you apparently admit to being, enable Donald Trump to do the damage he does to our country.
I really can't say it any plainer than that.
And what "DAMAGE" is that ?
I really can't say it any plainer than that
try. I dont understand how being realistic hurts anyone or the country.
BTW: "Both siders", which you apparently admit to being,
Try Neither siders.... that's much more MY stance. If You want to be accurate about it.
It's a Childish "Feelings" issue with the Sanders/Ocasio-Cortez types. Nothing More, Nothing less.
My actually "Feeling" on this thinking is.........….sad !
Sorry...… but ….………… #myfeelingscounttoo.
Well, folks...here we have it. Trump, who has been in office under 2 years, has indicted one person, albeit a Russian who will never see the inside of a US courtroom, for meddling in one of our elections. That is a 100 percent increase in the entirety of the 8 years of the Obama administration, who knew of Russian meddling long before the 2016 election.
Thank you, President Trump, for following up on what the failure of the previous president did not do.
Ever since this news came out I’ve been trying to figure out what the crime is
”sowing discord and disunity”?
you can’t call it election meddling because it attacks both political parties
but Democrats who suddenly became fixated on Russia after Trump’s election think this nonsense is a big deal. Proof they are incapable of governing our nation
This might be off subject but...………………….On a Tuesday morning the president says he, "Has no ties or business interests with the Saudis." Then that very same evening on a stage in a venue with thousands of adoring fans screaming "Lock her up" the president says he, "Loves the Saudis and they give him hundreds of millions of dollars for his condos and other stuff." Holy crackers. Who, in American political history could actually get away with that? Clinton couldn't get away with a bj. Trump got dozens of them, even while running for president, and the man still stands.
The Russians? I don't know. Trump likes Putin and allegedly Putin likes Trump. And that leaves Putin. America, do you really trust those guys?
bbl-1... You are correct, we have such a devided citizenship when one sides says "Hey look the King has No clothes" the other sides says "Who cares" or are ya sure looks like he does to me.