The Los Angeles Post

State Department Takes Action Against Russia’s Election Interference and Malign Influence Operations

by ·

Washington, D.C. – On September 4, 2024, the U.S. Department of State announced a series of coordinated actions to counter Russia’s ongoing efforts to interfere in the 2024 U.S. elections. This move is part of a broader strategy across the U.S. Government to combat Kremlin-backed media outlets that engage in malicious operations designed to influence or undermine the democratic process.

The Department highlighted Moscow’s notorious tactics, which range from cyberattacks and meddling in foreign elections to conducting illegitimate elections in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. These actions, which also include the unjust imprisonment of innocent individuals and unwarranted invasions, are part of a broader pattern of aggression against those Russia perceives as adversaries.

One of the key revelations in the Department’s announcement is that RT (formerly Russia Today), often viewed as just a media organization, has gone beyond its original mandate. RT has been implicated in a scheme where it contracted with a private company to pay unwitting Americans millions of dollars to spread Kremlin propaganda, thereby attempting to influence the U.S. elections and erode democratic institutions. RT’s leadership is reportedly fully aware and complicit in this operation.

In response, the Department of State is implementing several measures to disrupt Russia’s covert influence operations. These include:

  1. New Visa Restrictions: A new policy aimed at hindering the entry of individuals involved in these covert influence activities.
  2. Foreign Missions Act Determinations: Targeting RT’s parent company Rossiya Segodnya and its subsidiaries, including RIA Novosti, RT, TV-Novosti, Sputnik, and Ruptly, to curtail their operations in the U.S.
  3. Rewards for Justice Offer: Announcing a reward for information leading to the identification and disruption of these malign operations.

The State Department emphasized that these measures are a clear signal to foreign governments that the U.S. will not tolerate interference in its democratic processes. The United States remains committed to exposing and holding accountable those state-sponsored actors who attempt to undermine the integrity of its elections and democratic institutions.