Episode 90 | Conservative influencers in DoJ’s Russian propaganda indictment: Victims or Accomplices?

It's Complicated

In this all-new episode, national security law professor Asha Rangappa and former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti delve into the murky waters of Russian disinformation campaigns. Discussing last week’s indictment of two Russian nationals for a malign influence operation in the U.S. by the Department of Justice, you'll hear how well-known commentators like Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, Laura Southern, and Dave Rubin were ensnared with windfall payments from Russia’s government.

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The damning DoJ indictment alleges at least two Russian nationals conducted a clandestine operation in the US that sought to sway public opinion in the lead up to the election by funding BlazeTV content creator Lauren Chen’s startup, Tenet Media.

While one of the Putin government’s scheme targeted conservative American influencers, another indictment for a scheme called the Doppelgänger case was released, where prosecutors indicted a ring that created fake news websites. Both pushed pro-Russian narratives mixed with minsinformation to disrupt American politics and cause social division.

Our hosts break down the details and implications of the shocking foreign disinformation campaign, and analyze responses by different presidential administrations to combat these types of operations.

We’ll walk through the complexities of the case, talk about the role of targeted right-wing influencers in the operation, and explain how their willful negligence greatly undermined our democracy. You’ll also get to hear how the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) works, and get an expert analysis of the strategic shift in the federal response to these types of operations since the 2016 election.

Asha and Renato also give us an update on Hunter Biden’s recent legal troubles and share some hilarious personal anecdotes about maintaining public appearances.

This episode of It's Complicated is a must-listen. Stay tuned and join us next week for more expert analysis and deep dives into the world of legal and political intrigue.

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