Two Russian nationals working for a news network controlled by Vladimir Putin's government funneled millions of dollars to an American media company that paid right-wing influencers for videos pushing narratives favorable to the Kremlin, U.S. prosecutors alleged on Wednesday.
CBS News reports an indictment unsealed in the Southern District of New York charged Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, both based in Moscow, with conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The indictment came as the Justice Department unveiled sprawling allegations accusing the Russian government of meddling in the 2024 U.S. elections.
The two defendants worked for RT, a media outlet formerly known as Russia Today that is funded and controlled by the Russian government, the indictment said.
Though the company is not named in the indictment, prosecutors said that it describes itself as a "network of heterodox commentators that focus on Western political and cultural issues" and features six commentators as its "talent." Tenet Media describes itself using the same phrase on its website, and other details in the indictment align with the firm. Its website lists six right-wing personalities, including Dave Rubin, who has more than 2.4 million YouTube subscribers; Tim Pool, a podcast host with more than 1.3 million YouTube followers; and Benny Johnson, whose YouTube channel has nearly 2.4 million subscribers.
In response to the indictment of the two Russians, Pool wrote on social media, "Should these allegations prove true, I as well as the other personalities and commentators were deceived and are victims. I cannot speak for anyone else at the company as to what they do or to what they are instructed." He said his podcast was licensed by Tenet Media and existed before the license agreement. Pool also said he had full editorial control of the show and its contents, which he said are "often apolitical."
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