US to accuse Russia of effort to influence 2024 election, CNN says

Published September 4, 2024
Former US President Donald Trump in New York City on May 30 and US Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington DC on July 22 in a combination of file photos. — Reuters
Former US President Donald Trump in New York City on May 30 and US Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington DC on July 22 in a combination of file photos. — Reuters

The United States plans to accuse Russia on Wednesday of a campaign to influence the 2024 presidential election using online platforms to target American voters with disinformation, according to CNN.

Russian state media network RT will be a focus of the announcement, CNN reported, citing six sources familiar with the matter.

The news comes just hours before Attorney General Merrick Garland is due to speak at a meeting of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment ahead of the election task force meeting.

A Russian lawmaker called the reported accusations “pure rubbish” and said Moscow does not think it matters whether Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Kamala Harris wins the November 5 election.

“The only winner of the US election is the US private military industrial complex,” State Duma deputy Maria Butina told Reuters.

The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Moscow has repeatedly said it has not meddled in the US election.

RT responded with ridicule. “Three things are certain in life: death, taxes and RT’s interference in the US elections,” the media outlet told Reuters.

The Justice Department has previously warned that Russia remains a threat to the presidential election. US officials have said Russia has not shifted its preference from previous American presidential elections, indicating Moscow favours Trump.

US intelligence assessments found that Moscow tried to help Trump in 2016, when he defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton, and in 2020 when he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Moscow has denied the allegations.

Lisa Monaco, the number two Justice Department official, said last month that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his proxies have adopted increasingly sophisticated techniques, targeting specific groups of voters and those in battleground states.

The Justice Department in July said it disrupted a Russian social media campaign with links to RT that covertly spread pro-Kremlin messages.

The FBI last month searched the homes of two Americans with ties to Russian state media, including former United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter and Dimitri Simes, an adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign.

The US government has also accused Iran of attempting to influence the upcoming election through cyber operations against both the Trump and Harris campaigns. The Trump campaign has said Iran was behind the leak of internal campaign documents to US media outlets.

US intelligence agencies have assessed that China is not planning to intervene in the presidential race to favour one candidate. But Reuters reported on Tuesday that a social media operation linked to Beijing is impersonating US voters, denigrating US politicians and pushing divisive messages ahead of the election.

Opinion

Editorial

Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...
Islamabad protest
Updated 20 Nov, 2024

Islamabad protest

As Nov 24 draws nearer, both the PTI and the Islamabad administration must remain wary and keep within the limits of reason and the law.
PIA uncertainty
20 Nov, 2024

PIA uncertainty

THE failed attempt to privatise the national flag carrier late last month has led to a fierce debate around the...
T20 disappointment
20 Nov, 2024

T20 disappointment

AFTER experiencing the historic high of the One-day International series triumph against Australia, Pakistan came...