Four Americans and two Russians conspired to sway elections, influence politics, Justice Department says

The Justice Department unsealed grand jury indictments on Tuesday against four U.S. citizens and two Russian nationals who are charged with attempting to execute wide-ranging influence operation to sow political discord, sway a local election in Florida and eventually meddle in the 2020 presidential election.

The indictment, which adds to an existing July 2022 case, alleges that Moscow-resident Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov, founder of the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia, worked with at least two Russian intelligence officials between 2014 and 2022 “engaged in a years-long foreign malign influence campaign targeting the United States.”

Four Americans and two Russians conspired to sway elections, influence politics, Justice Department says (archived)

They’re being charged for violating Title 18 U.S.C. §951 (foreign relations, agents of foreign governments) and Title 18 U.S.C. §371 (conspiracy). These are the same violations that Maria Butina was charged with.

U.S. charges four Americans with aiding Kremlin efforts + U.S. imposes economic sanctions on black community projects

Federal authorities charged four Americans on Tuesday with roles in a malign campaign pushing pro-Kremlin propaganda in Florida and Missouri — expanding a previous case that charged a Russian operative with running illegal influence agents within the United States.

U.S. charges four Americans with aiding Kremlin efforts

H/T: Natylie’s Place: Understanding Russia

Related:

U.S. imposes economic sanctions on black community projects

Alexander Ionov case – Russiagate 2

“Ironically, if the same guy had leaked to the NYT, we’d be working feverishly to conceal it.”

Source.

The NYT worked feverishly to find the identity of the guy leaking TS docs on Discord. Ironically, if they same guy had leaked to the NYT, we’d be working feverishly to conceal it.

David Philipps’ Tweet, archived)

New York Times military correspondent accuses paper of double standards for working ‘feverishly’ to find Pentagon leaker – whose identity colleagues would have ‘concealed’ if he’d given documents to them

His arrest was the culmination of a week-long scramble by the media and the U.S. security services to find him. The charge was led by [NED- & Soros-funded] Bellingcat, the investigative journalism group, and saw The New York Times and Washington Post battle to find more detail about the leaks and the person behind them.

Related:

Leaks Investigation: Airman Faces Two Counts Related to Leaked Documents

He guided a group of 20 to 30 people, mostly young men and teenagers, as they bonded over guns, racist memes, video games and international politics.

They’re making him out to be a ‘far-right anti-government extremist’! Kim Iversen mentioned that the media said that he talked about Ruby Ridge, and the Waco siege, among other things that they claim are ‘extremist’!

Jordan issues subpoena to FBI director for documents over withdrawn memo on Catholic Churches

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan issued a subpoena to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Monday for documents as House Republicans investigate the circumstances surrounding a since-withdrawn memo from the bureau’s Richmond field office that focused on extremism in the Catholic Church.

Jordan issues subpoena to FBI director for documents over withdrawn memo on Catholic churches

H/T: Kim Iversen

Related:

FBI Investigations Of Radical Catholic Traditionalists Can Help The Church

Lab-created bird flu virus accident shows lax oversight of risky ‘gain of function’ research

Inside the high-security Influenza Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, two experienced scientists were pulling ferrets out of their HEPA-filtered cages on a Monday in December 2019. Another researcher, still in training, was also in the room to watch and learn.

Lab-created bird flu virus accident shows lax oversight of risky ‘gain of function’ research

H/T: The Most Revolutionary Act

The “October Surprise”: Throwing History Off Course

The “October surprise” worked its way into the political jargon in 1980 to describe the Carter administration’s efforts to obtain the release of 52 American hostages in Iran. President Jimmy Carter didn’t know, however, that his opponent’s campaign was planning its own “October surprise”—to elect Ronald Reagan by ensuring that the hostages would be held until after the election.

The “October Surprise”: Throwing History Off Course