The administration under President Biden and Vice President Harris is poised for a significant announcement this Wednesday, aiming its sights at Russia for what it alleges to be an attempt by Moscow to sway the 2024 US presidential election through disinformation campaigns. A central point of this upcoming declaration is the Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT, based on insights from six individuals versed in the developments.
Officials in the US view RT as a pivotal channel for the Kremlin’s propaganda efforts. According to four insiders, the disinformation effort taps into both American and foreign entities for its execution. RT, which had to register as a foreign agent in 2017 following assessments by US intelligence bodies linking it to the 2016 election interference, previously went by the name Russia Today.
Wednesday’s announcement is also anticipated to spotlight the Social Design Agency, previously hit with sanctions by the Treasury Department for purportedly operating counterfeit news platforms in Europe under the guise of the Russian state, as relayed by three people close to the matter.
MSNBC’s sources have indicated that the US’s countermeasures will entail sanctions spearheaded by the Treasury Department.
The collective view from the sources speaking to CNN is that Russia remains a formidable threat to the electoral process in the US, with the forthcoming statement by the Biden-Harris administration being deemed their most forceful response to date. Attorney General Merrick Garland is scheduled to lead a discussion within the DOJ’s Election Threats Task Force later on Wednesday, a gathering that will include top law enforcement figures such as FBI Director Christopher Wray.
In a related event this past July, the DOJ identified an RT employee as part of a strategy to disseminate false information regarding the conflict in Ukraine among other subjects, utilizing around 1,000 fake social media profiles purporting to be Americans. Despite accusations of the Kremlin bankrolling this operation, a spokesperson for the Kremlin refuted these claims.
