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The Biden administration announced a sweeping crackdown on Russian election interference efforts ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. On Wednesday, the Departments of Justice, State, and Treasury launched a joint operation aimed at undermining Russia’s influence operations targeting American voters.
Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed criminal charges against two employees of the Kremlin-backed media network RT (formerly Russia Today). Konstantin Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva were accused of conspiring to commit money laundering and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The indictment, unsealed in the Southern District of New York, outlines a nearly $10 million scheme orchestrated by the duo to spread pro-Russian content on U.S. social media platforms.
“The American people are entitled to know when a foreign power is attempting to exploit our country’s free exchange of ideas in order to send around its own propaganda,” Garland said.
The RT employees allegedly hired a Tennessee-based company to publish and disseminate content, contracting with U.S.-based influencers to amplify the messaging, according to the DOJ. Garland noted that the Russian-backed material often stoked domestic divisions in the U.S. and aimed to undermine support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
Kalashnikov, who identified himself as RT’s Deputy Chief of Digital Media, and Afanasyeva, a producer at RT, are at the center of this alleged operation. “The company never disclosed to the influencers or to their millions of followers its ties to RT and the Russian government,” Garland stated. The Russian media network instead claimed to be backed by a private investor—a persona that was, in fact, fictitious.
The DOJ’s investigation is still ongoing. As part of the probe, 32 internet domains linked to Russian election interference have been seized by the department. The joint action follows Treasury’s sanctions on ten Russian individuals and two entities involved in these activities.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, when questioned about potential high-level Kremlin involvement, confirmed that U.S. officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin was aware of RT’s covert influence operations. “We believe Mr. Putin is weighing in on these actions,” Kirby said.
Sanctions were also levied against RaHDIt, a prominent pro-Russian hacktivist group that is reportedly run by Russian intelligence officers, including Aleksey Alekseyevich Garashchenko, a former FSB officer. The Treasury Department described RaHDIt as a “notorious” group known for leaking sensitive information and spreading Russian propaganda on Telegram.
The administration’s actions further extended to blocking the property of designated individuals and freezing their assets within U.S. jurisdiction. The State Department also announced additional measures, including visa restrictions on Kremlin-aligned media operatives and a reward of up to $10 million for information on foreign interference in U.S. elections.
The effort to clamp down on Russian interference follows years of Moscow’s attempts to manipulate U.S. public opinion, dating back to the 2016 election. Intelligence agencies have warned that Russia is continuing its efforts to influence the upcoming 2024 election by amplifying domestic political tensions and undermining U.S. support for Ukraine.
In the wake of these new sanctions and criminal charges, Garland reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to protecting American democracy. “The Justice Department’s message is clear: We have no tolerance for attempts by authoritarian regimes to exploit our democratic system of government.”
This latest wave of enforcement demonstrates a coordinated effort to prevent foreign actors, particularly Russia, from meddling in U.S. elections—an effort that the Biden administration says will remain a top priority heading into 2024.
