Russian indicted for influence over socialist activists in Florida
A Russian named Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov has been charged with “orchestrating a years-long foreign malign influence campaign that used various U.S. political groups to sow discord, spread pro-Russian propaganda, and interfere in elections within the United States.” According to a DOJ press release, Ionov was directed by FSB and gained influence with three separate groups in Florida, Georgia and California.
None of those groups were named in the indictment but the identity of the Florida group was revealed after the group’s headquarters was searched by the FBI. The group in question is part of something called the Uhuru Movement which is run by the African People’s Socialist Party. According to the indictment, Ionov has been working closely with this group for seven years. During that time he brought the group’s leader to Moscow on two occasions. Subsequent emails indicate the Uhuru Movement’s leadership was aware Ionov was working on behalf of the Russian government. They just didn’t care.
No comments:
Post a Comment