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Tag: Benny Johnson
September 7, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Corruption
Media

KASSAM: Russian Influence Probe a Distraction from CCP Sway on the Left & Foreign Cash in Corporate Media.

Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, believes the Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) probe into an alleged Russian influence operation targeting right-leaning influencers appears “confected” to distract from Chinese influence scandals on the left and pay-for-play in the corporate media.

Appearing on the Charlie Kirk Show, Kassam noted that the alleged Russian influence operation centers on a Canadian personality, Laren Chen, who has appeared “quite anti-Trump in her rhetoric” in recent years. Other influencers referenced in connection with the scheme, such as Tim Pool and Benny Johnson, seem to have been “unwitting, unwilling participants,” even according to the DOJ.

“It smacks of 2016… the smoking gun doesn’t appear to be anywhere near MAGA world,” Kassam said.

The National Pulse chief said the DOJ announcement, which comes just weeks before the November election, feeds into a “confected narrative” about Russian influence on the right that distracts from leftists’ involvement in high-profile Democratic scandals, such as Senator Bob Menendez taking money, gold bars, and other bribes from foreign governments, and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence on the left.

“China is far and away more influential with things like this than Russia [or] Iran, and we never, ever seem to talk about that,” Kassam said, citing “Marxist journalist training programs” and operations that “peddle propaganda” down to the level of public schools, such as the Confucius Institutes.

WATCH:

Kassam also stressed that foreign influence is out in the open in the corporate media: “Think of the likes of News Corp, CNN, Bloomberg, all of these guys,” he said, noting they have “vast, vast international operations, [and] they also vast, vast amounts of foreign cash sloshing around, foreign board members that sit at the tops of their companies [and] have an influence over what the news looks like.”

“[W]hen you look at these huge media conglomerates, it’s all pay for play… They’re laundering information, they’re laundering falsehoods a lot of the time,” he said, contrasting this with the National Pulse being “100 percent member-funded.”

WATCH:

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Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, believes the Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) probe into an alleged Russian influence operation targeting right-leaning influencers appears "confected" to distract from Chinese influence scandals on the left and pay-for-play in the corporate media. show more
September 5, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024
Media

IN BRIEF: The Russian Propaganda Indictment, and What it Means for Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, and Dave Rubin.

A sprawling federal investigation into an alleged Russian foreign influence operation in the United States has resulted in a lengthy indictment that names several prominent conservatives and right-leaning influencers as unwitting participants in the scheme. Released yesterday by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the 32-page indictment alleges two Russian nationals spearheaded an influence operation targeting an American audience to subtly push pro-Russia propaganda.

The DOJ claims that Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva—both employees of Russia Today—are at the center of a money laundering operation that spent nearly $10 million using a network of shell companies in the U.S. and Europe to influence and sow division among Americans. Russia Today—recently rebranded as RT—is a Russian state-controlled media outlet forced to register as a foreign agent in the United States in 2017 under former President Donald J. Trump.

RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA.

According to the indictment, the Russian operatives approached a Tennesee-based media company—widely understood to be Tenet Media—offering to finance a social media operation primarily centered on YouTube videos addressing hot-button American political issues. However, as part of the financial agreement, Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva would have a high degree of control over the content published. The two would use false identities in their interactions with content creators, directing them to unwittingly push Russian interests among more standard social media political commentary.

Tenet Media is owned by Canadian national and right-wing social media personality Lauren Chen and her husband, Liam Donovan. The DOJ indictment does not mention either by name, nor does it level criminal charges—as of now—against the couple. However, the charging document does allege that both Chen and Donovan were aware that they were working with and taking money from Russian operatives and appear to be complicit in pushing Russian propaganda.

UNWITTING PARTICIPANTS.

The indictment notes that while Tenet Media’s leadership appeared willing to participate in the Russian influence scheme, the company’s clients were unaware of the foreign connections. Tenet Media had relationships with a roster of conservative and right-leaning influencers, including Benny Johnson, Tim Pool, and Dave Rubin.

“A year ago, a media startup pitched my company to provide content as an independent contractor. Our lawyers negotiated a standard, arms length deal, which was later terminated,” Johnson wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) responding to the indictment. He adds: “We are disturbed by the allegations in today’s indictment, which make clear that myself and other influencers were victims in this alleged scheme.”

Also, responding to the indictment, Dave Rubin wrote on X: “These allegations clearly show that I and other commentators were the victims of this scheme. I knew absolutely nothing about any of this fraudulent activity. Period.”

Rubin stresses that the DOJ has never contacted him regarding its investigation and subsequent indictment.

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A sprawling federal investigation into an alleged Russian foreign influence operation in the United States has resulted in a lengthy indictment that names several prominent conservatives and right-leaning influencers as unwitting participants in the scheme. Released yesterday by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the 32-page indictment alleges two Russian nationals spearheaded an influence operation targeting an American audience to subtly push pro-Russia propaganda. show more