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Recently surfaced Russian documents reveal the strategic operations of a Moscow-backed network disseminating disinformation aimed at American voters. This trove of over 150 documents, reviewed by *The Washington Post*, showcases an intricate, coordinated effort by Russian intelligence to leverage deepfake videos and inflammatory content. The documents cover the period from March 2021 to August 2024 and offer a rare glimpse into the workings of a network described by researchers and intelligence officials as the most active source of Russian-originated fake news targeting Americans within the past year.

 

 

One key player in this network is John Dougan, an American who allegedly collaborates with Russian intelligence. Dougan's network recently made headlines with a fake video that went viral, smearing Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz. This deepfake, identified as Russian-made by U.S. intelligence officials, garnered nearly 5 million views within 24 hours on X, as confirmed by Microsoft. According to McKenzie Sadeghi, a researcher with NewsGuard, Dougan’s operation has achieved unprecedented reach, amassing 64 million views on posts, articles, and videos since September 2023.

 

“Compared with other Russian disinformation campaigns, Dougan has a clear understanding of what would resonate with Western audiences and the political atmosphere, which I think has made this more effective,” Sadeghi said.

 

These documents also indicate Dougan's financial ties to a Moscow institute founded by Alexander Dugin, a far-right ideologue with substantial influence over Russian President Vladimir Putin's imperialist agenda. Often referred to as “Putin’s brain,” Dugin has been a critical figure in Russia’s revanchist ideologies and a driving influence behind its invasion of Ukraine. Evidence within these files includes records of direct payments from Khoroshenky, a Russian figure associated with Dugin’s circle, to Dougan’s Moscow bank account starting in April 2022. The records also reveal frequent meetings between Khoroshenky, Dougan, and another collaborator, Korovin. 

 

In response to these allegations, Dougan denied working as an operative for Moscow. He claimed to operate independently and dismissed the payments as nonexistent. “No one sends me money for anything,” he said, further explaining that he worked as an IT consultant for an American company and suggesting that the documents seen by *The Washington Post* were likely fabricated. He did, however, defend his controversial stance on the spread of information. “I will tell you hypothetically, if they were my sites,” he said, “then I am merely fighting fire with fire because the West is f------ lying about everything that’s happening. They are lying about everything.”

 

As disinformation researchers and intelligence officials continue to assess the reach and impact of Dougan’s operations, the mounting evidence draws a clearer picture of Moscow’s sophisticated methods of influence over American political discourse, signaling an evolving landscape of foreign interference through digital manipulation and misinformation campaigns.

 

Based on a report from the WP 2024-10-26

 

 

 

[Tug]

Hope they can get this guy up on charges!