Russian media accused of secretly funding far‑right influencers

On 4 September, the United States Department of Justice accused two employees of Russia Today (RT), the Russian state broadcaster, of secretly funding and directing the production of videos on social media that accumulated millions of views. Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva have been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act. They are accused of transferring nearly £8 million to a company in Tennessee, which made deals with major online influencers.

The Department of Justice did not name the company as sponsored by Russia, but the disclosed details pointed to Nashville-based Tenet Media. This is evidenced by, among other things, the description on its website: "network of heterodox commentators that focus on western political and cultural issues." Tenet Media struck deals with far-right social media stars such as Benny Johnson, Tim Pool, David Rubin, and Lauren Southern.

Influencers claim they were unaware of the project's Russian connections. On Wednesday, Johnson, Pool, and Rubin published statements on X, describing themselves as victims. Southern has been silent and did not respond to media requests for comment. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland also stated at a press conference: "The company never disclosed to the influencers or to their millions of followers its ties to RT and the Russian government."

It's hard to believe in this ignorance when watching, for example, Tim Pool's video, which is currently viral on social media, in which the YouTuber passionately exclaims: "Ukraine is the enemy of this country." "One of the greatest enemies of our nation right now is Ukraine." There are always voices trying to incite animosity towards Ukraine and its citizens on social media. When we encounter such content, remembering whose interest they serve and who might be behind them is worth remembering.