The Biden-Harris administration is expected to announce a series of measures on Wednesday aimed at countering what they claim to be a Russian disinformation campaign designed to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election. A major focus of the announcement will be the Russian state media network RT.
According to six sources familiar with the matter, the U.S. will take several steps in response to the perceived threat. These steps are expected to include a public condemnation from the White House and law enforcement actions announced by the Department of Justice targeting the Russian campaign.
U.S. officials see RT, formerly known as Russia Today, as a significant part of the Kremlin’s propaganda efforts. Four of the sources mentioned that the disinformation campaign involves both American and non-American voices. In 2017, the DOJ required RT to register as a foreign agent after U.S. intelligence concluded that the outlet had contributed to Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The announcement is also expected to name the Social Design Agency, previously sanctioned by the Treasury Department for allegedly operating fake news websites in Europe on behalf of the Russian government, according to three sources.
Sources told MSNBC that the U.S. measures will include new sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department. They further indicated to CNN that the U.S. continues to see Russia as a significant influence threat in the upcoming election. This announcement will mark the most substantial response from the Biden-Harris administration to this issue so far.
Attorney General Merrick Garland will convene a meeting of the DOJ’s Election Threats Task Force on Wednesday afternoon, which will include senior law enforcement officials like FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Earlier this year, in July, the DOJ accused an RT employee of being part of a scheme to spread disinformation about the war in Ukraine and other topics through around 1,000 social media accounts impersonating U.S. residents. The U.S. accused the Kremlin of financing this scheme, but a Kremlin spokesperson denied the allegations.