WASHINGTON — Employees of the Russian-backed media network RT funded and directed a scheme that funneled millions of dollars to prominent right-wing commentators through a media company matching the description of Tenet Media, a leading platform for pro-Trump votes. According to an NBC News investigation into payment documents, business records and social media profiles.
Indictment Two RT employees, Konstantin Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, on Wednesday denied allegations that the pair carried out a nearly $10 million scheme to fund an unnamed Tennessee-based company as part of their “secret project” to influence American politics by posting videos on TikTok. contains Instagram, X and YouTube.
According to an NBC News review of details contained in the indictment, the description of the company matches that of Tenet Media. Prosecutors said the Company-1 website describes itself as a “heterodox commentator network focusing on Western political and cultural issues,” similar to the language used by Tenet Media on its website and social media channels. The indictment also states that Company-1 was registered in Tennessee and changed its name on or about May 22, 2023. 2023.
Tenet is partnered with six commentators: Lauren Southern, Tim Pool, Tyler Hansen, Matt Christiansen, Dave Rubin and Benny Johnson. The indictment refers to six commenters who were not named.
Details in the indictment match Tenet’s two identities: Rubin and Pool. As of Wednesday, Rubin’s “The Rubin Report” YouTube channel had 2.44 million subscribers. The indictment states that “Sharhchi-1” has more than 2.4 million YouTube subscribers. A person with more than 1.3 million YouTube subscribers is called “Commenter-2”. The pool currently has 1.37 million subscribers. The indictment also refers to three other commentators, one of whom has female pronouns, but lacks any information that could directly identify their channels.
Although the indictment states that Commenter-1 and Commenter-2 were unaware and deceived that they were being paid by Russian efforts, it is unclear to what extent each of the commenters understood where the money was coming from. about the source of funding. Ultimately, it found that $8.7 million was sent “only to the production companies of Commentator-1, Commentator-2, and Commentator-3.” Payments per claim From October 2023 to August 2024, it accounted for 90% of the deposits made to the company’s account.
Tenet Media did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment. “Hahahaha!” responded with a series of text messages including and “We have to earn our Kremlin salary somehow.”
The pool, he said in part A long statement about X: “If these claims are true, I, other personalities and commentators have also been deceived and victimized. I can’t speak for anyone else in the company about what they do or what they are instructed to do.
Johnson, and Xsaid, “A year ago, a media startup pitched my company to provide content as an independent contractor. Our lawyers negotiated a standard, long-term deal, which was later terminated. We are troubled by the allegations in today’s indictment that reveal that I and other influencers were victims of this alleged scheme. My lawyers will handle anyone who says or suggests otherwise.”
Hansen said in part X: “These claims completely shocked me and the other presenters of TENET Media. I want to be as clear as possible, I have never been directed to report on any topic and have always had complete freedom and control over my reporting. I will never agree to any deal where I am not solely responsible for the stories I cover and the content I create.”
Rubin said in part X:” These allegations clearly show that I and other commenters have fallen victim to this scheme. I knew nothing about this scam. Period.”
Christiansen said in part X: “No one has ever told me what to say or not to say, and I will never agree to anything else. My videos and streams for Tenet are exactly the same as my videos and streams on my personal channels. Every word is from me and only me.”
It came as part of the claims A sweeping move by the Justice, State and Treasury Departments According to the Biden administration, the targeting is an attempt by the Russian government to manipulate US public opinion ahead of the November election. That includes charges against two RT employees accused of money laundering and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act in an indictment unsealed Wednesday in the Southern District of New York.
The company that will become Tenet Media is registered in Nashville, Tennessee, according to state business records, which list the company’s registered agents as Liam Donovan and Lauren Tam. According to his social media pages, Donovan is the producer. None of them are named in the indictment.
Tam is best known as Lauren Chen, video creator for The Blaze and contributor to Turning Points USA. It is also listed On RT’s website as a contributor. Online, there is Chen praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticized US support to Ukraine. Public records show Donovan is married to Lauren Tam, which is reflected in Chen’s public profiles.
Donovan and Tam did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Tenet has emerged in recent years as a home for staunch Trump supporters, who have conducted interviews with Trump and members of the Trump family, while also supporting conservative causes that align with Russia’s own interests. Johnson gave an interview In a video for Tenet Media in February, Donald Trump Jr. Many personalities of Tenet voiced anti-Ukraine opinions.
Tenet Media figures also downplayed the attack on the US Capitol on January 6. Hansen, one of Tenet’s commentators, was inside the US Capitol during the January 6 attack and filmed the death of rioter Ashley Babbitt. He testified Last year, House Republicans in the Jan. 6 hearing on the prosecution of the defendants. He has not been charged for these acts.
The indictment describes how RT officials – following sanctions imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – created an “entire empire of covert projects” using US citizens to shape the public opinion of a “Western audience”. Acted as a go-between for pro-Trump political commentators, contacting them about strategy, payment negotiations and video distribution.
The indictment alleges that certain Tenet commentators engaged in hard-charging. In one exchange, the company’s internal communications officials said that “Commentator-1″—probably Rubin—”would have to be close to 5 million a year for him to be interested,” Commentator-2—probably Pool—said. “It takes 100k per week episode to be worth his time.” This led to one of the company’s founders allegedly saying it would be “very difficult” for the company to “recoup costs” based solely on ad revenue from web traffic or sponsors, but decided to move forward anyway.
The indictment also alleges that the two defendants and the two “founders” told two of the commenters that the company was funded by a private investor named “Edward Gregorian,” a fictitious person they described as a “skilled financial professional.” a multinational bank in both Brussels and France. According to the indictment, the founders referred to Grigoryanna as investors in Commentators-1 & 2, but privately admitted to each other in online communications that their real investors were “Russians.”
The indictment further alleges that RT operatives encouraged U.S. commentators to share Russian-sponsored content with a wider audience and were clearly concerned about how little of their “raw footage” was being posted by some of the company’s talent.
The indictment brings increased attention to some internet commentators who are increasingly accepting of Trump and much of his worldview.
Tim Pool started out as a digital journalist for news outlets including Vice News and Fusion, but in recent years has become one of the right’s most popular online influencers. While criticizing the right-wing label, Pool spoke out strong support For Donald Trump’s re-election, and hosted conservative outsiders including the Proud Boys, covid conspiracy theorists and outspoken anti-Semites. There is a pool reported YouTube’s live stream has generated more than $1.3 million in revenue from its Super Chat feature.
Interviewed by Trump this year, Pool often criticized US aid to Ukraine and claimed that it was tantamount to Russian provocation.
Pool wrote: “Ukraine is our enemy” X last monthanswers a claim In 2022, a Ukrainian was involved in the underwater explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany.
A self-described libertarian, Rubin was an early founder of the “intellectual dark web,” a right-wing online counterculture movement. His YouTube show, The Rubin Report promoted fringe and extremist voices. Its newer content is decidedly conservative and as he announced on Twitterhe is registered as a Republican in 2022. Rubin is also a sharp critic of Ukraine.cannot win“War against Russia. Last year, he served as Senate Minority Leader R-Ky. He called Mitch McConnell a “sellout” for his tie with Ukraine. blue and yellow colors.
south a far-right activist Canadian and one time YouTube personality Banned from Airbnb due to belonging to unspecified groups. He did not respond to a request for comment and did not post on X about the indictment.
Bret Schafer, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund who investigates disinformation, noted that this is not the first attempt by Russia to covertly fund US media operations.
“There are many, many, many examples going back to the Cold War, but certainly more recently of Russia trying to covertly finance news organizations or content creators who produce content that is beneficial to Russia,” Schafer said.
noted Maffick MediaA network of online video channels targeting millennials with content critical of US foreign policy and the American media, and was revealed in 2019 to be secretly funded by Ruptly, a subsidiary of RT. The campaign said Tenet’s Schafer’s success was nowhere to be found.
“Among conservatives, there’s nothing like Tim Pool’s numbers,” Schafer said. “You’re not dealing with some kind of influential Twitter account. This is a podcaster that reaches millions and has the connections to get it in front of Trump. So yes, that would be the most influential person they could support in a way.