US citizens charged with pushing pro-Kremlin disinfo, election interference

Four US citizens have been accused of working on behalf of the Russian government to push pro-Kremlin propaganda and unduly influence elections in Florida. According to a grand jury indictment [PDF] the Americans along with three Russian nationals allegedly participated in a multi-year foreign-fueled influence campaign that …

[Michael Strorm]

Another Shutterstock front page thumbnail special

I mean, it's not *their* fault really- their laptop had one of those nonstandard keyboards with a 'Fake News' button where 'Return' would normally be and a Russian button instead of the semicolon. You know the type.

I don't know why they design them like this- it makes it all too easy to inadvertently type pro-Russian propaganda when you're trying to post a funny cat picture to Facebook.

[_Elvi_]

Re: Another Shutterstock front page thumbnail special

.. Don't blame it on the cats ...

.. It's the Trolls we have to worry about ..

[Omnipresent]

The Cult is strong with the Twits

Between Murdoch, and social, it's no wonder some states of the far south east were turned into "little russia". The extent of the brain washing reached all the way into government. It's going to be a long road to recovery for some. Some will never recover.

Murdoch should, at the very least, have his citizenship revoked in a decent and sane world. He should be in prison by now.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The Cult is strong with the Twits

Maybe they are just not buying the propaganda and disinformation coming from the swamp and the military industrial complex?

[M.V. Lipvig]

Re: The Cult is strong with the Twits

And we all know this to be a bunch of hooey. Speaking as one born and raised in that area.

[Doctor Syntax]

Maybe they got confused & thought it was the other St Petersburg. That might be their defence.

[Woodnag]

US citizens charged with pushing pro-Kremlin disinfo, election interference?

Er, no.

The actual charges hang around being agents of the Russian government within the US without providing prior notification to the Attorney General.

Essentially unlicensed lobbyists.

[Michael Wojcik]

Re: US citizens charged with pushing pro-Kremlin disinfo, election interference?

Yes. It's rather a slippery slope, though, to subverting First Amendment protections (which only mean something if they apply to the worst sorts of expression) by applying laws like this. There's definitely risk of the foreign-agent law being used to punish people based on the content of their expression, and of a general chilling effect.

If I were on the jury for a case like this I'd want to see a very high bar set and met, and if I didn't, I'd be inclined to nullify.

[ecofeco]

Re: US citizens charged with pushing pro-Kremlin disinfo, election interference?

This is not about the 1st Amendment. They can spout all the bollocks they wish, as long they were registered as the foreign, agents they are.

They were not registered.

[IglooDame]

I'm okay with California seceding if they take Florida with them. Hell, we'll probably lose the one to plate tectonics and the other to global climate change soon enough anyway.