The US government says it has sanctioned 10 individuals, including the editor-in-chief of Russian state media network RT, and two entities over an alleged campaign to influence November’s presidential election.
It said on Wednesday that they had attempted to undermine confidence in the US election processes.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stressed that the US would take a firm stand against such attempts by Russia, Iran, China or others to interfere in US elections.
Garland said, “We will be relentlessly aggressive in countering and disrupting attempts … to interfere in our elections and undermine our democracy.”
The US Justice Department also said on Wednesday that two RT employees have been indicted by a grand jury for their involvement in an alleged scheme to produce and distribute pro-Kremlin social media content.
The two are accused of using fake identities and paying 10 million dollars to a US online content creation company to produce videos aimed at amplifying political divisions in the US. The videos were reportedly posted on YouTube, TikTok and other social media channels.
The two RT employees are charged with conspiracy to violate US money laundering and foreign agent laws.