The Justice Department unsealed an indictment Wednesday alleging that two Russian nationals working for President Vladimir Putin’s government funneled millions of dollars into a media company run by anti-Trump conservative influencer Lauren Chen.
“An indictment unsealed in the Southern District of New York charges Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, both based in Moscow, with conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act,” CBS News reported Wednesday.
Both defendants worked for Russian state media outlet RT, formerly known as Russia Today, before it was dissolved in the United States following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“Federal prosecutors said RT oversaw a series of “secret schemes” that included funneling $10 million through a series of shell entities into a Tennessee-based company launched in 2023 that posts videos to TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter,” CBS News added.
The indictment alleged that videos posted by the company contained “commentary on events and issues in the United States, such as immigration, inflation, and other domestic and foreign policy topics.”
“While the views expressed in the videos are not uniform, the subject matter and content of the videos are often consistent with the Russian government’s interest in amplifying domestic divisions in order to weaken U.S. opposition to the Russian government’s core interests, such as its ongoing war in Ukraine,” the indictment noted.
The indictment does not name the company, but simply says it presents itself as a “network of heterodox commentators who focus on Western political and cultural issues.” Reporters identified the company as Tenet Media, which states on its website:
Tenet Media is a network of heterodox commentators who focus on Western political and cultural issues. Our goal is to support creators who challenge institutions that believe themselves to be above questioning. We believe that all current issues deserve rigorous and honest discussion if we are to get closer to the truth. For those interested in authentic coverage of the issues that matter most, Tenet Media is your source for content: fearless voices live here.
The company has reportedly struck business deals of varying sizes and durations with popular influencers such as Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, Dave Rubin and Lauren Southern as talent.
Most of those quoted expressed pro-Trump views, although Chen herself has turned against the former president.
The indictment states that at least two talents, including Tim Pool, were “deceived” by Tenet Media’s two founders, Lauren Chen and her husband Liam Donovan. According to CBS News:
Records from the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office show that Tenet Media was incorporated on Jan. 19, 2022, the same incorporation date cited in the indictment, and is headquartered in Nashville. It was founded by Liam Donovan and his wife, Lauren Chen. The founders are referred to as Founder-1 and Founder-2 in the indictment, and prosecutors said they jointly run the company.
Tenet reportedly never disclosed that it was “funded and directed” by RT, as neither the company nor its founders registered with the Justice Department as a foreign agent.
Tim Pool described himself as a “victim” in a statement on social media, accusing him of having complete editorial control of his show and of never having published talking points at Russia’s request.
“If these allegations were true, I and other personalities and commentators would have been deceived and would be victims. I cannot speak for anyone else in the company as to what they do or what they are instructed to do,” Pool said.
Tim Pool later deleted his statement, but commented on his show, saying that he never produced content at the request of anyone, and that he had simply agreed to have some of his content licensed.
Dave Rubin and Benny Johnson issued similar statements. On social networksJohnson said his lawyers negotiated a “standard, arms-length agreement” that was later terminated.
“A year ago, a media startup approached my company about providing content as an independent contractor. Our attorneys negotiated a standard, arms-length agreement that was later terminated. We are troubled by the allegations in today’s indictment, which clearly show that I and other influencers were victims of this alleged scheme. My attorneys will pursue anyone who claims or suggests otherwise,” Johnson said.
“These allegations clearly show that I and other commenters were victims of this scheme. I knew absolutely nothing about this fraudulent activity. Period. … The Justice Department has never contacted me about this and I have no further comment,” said Dave Rubin.
The sums paid were substantial. CBS notes: “The contract for an unidentified influencer included a monthly retainer of $400,000, a signing bonus of $100,000 and an additional performance bonus.”
Sebastian Gorka, a former Breitbart News editor and Trump administration official, said he was approached by Chen to produce content for Tenet and turned down the money after doing “due diligence.”
“The money looked interesting. But I wanted to know where it came from,” he said in a message on X. “After repeated insistence, she gave me the names of people who had no internet traces – like a certain Eduard Grigoriann – or who had no media connections. I mean none.”
“It made no sense.”
The indictment specifically names Lauren Chen as the primary liaison between Russian nationals and the talent she allegedly recruited. It also states that Lauren Chen knew the source of her funding. In one instance, the indictment says a producer criticized the publication of a pro-Russian video by commentator Tucker Carlson that “Founder-2” emphasized.
“Producer-I sent a private message to Founder-2 on Discord: ‘They want me to post this’ – referring to the video posted by Afanasyeva – but ‘it seems like blatant shilling.’ Founder-2 responded that Founder-I ‘thinks we should post it.’ Producer-I acquiesced, responding: ‘Fine, I’ll post it tomorrow,’” the indictment says.
Over the past year, Lauren Chen has increasingly taken positions that run counter to mainstream conservative political thinking, including opposing Israel and discussing repealing the 19th Amendment (which granted women the right to vote). In recent weeks, she has been defend that conservatives are refraining from voting for former President Trump because of his pragmatic views on abortion.
Tim Pool, Benny Johnson and Dave Rubin have maintained pro-Trump positions.
The common thread among the influencers named in the indictment is skepticism about U.S. policy in Ukraine, which Russia may have wanted to amplify.
Speculation about other motivations proliferated online Wednesday, with Democrats suggesting that Russia had wanted to help Trump, and conservatives pointing out that Russia had supported conservatives opposed to Trump.
Breitbart News staff contributed to this report.
Joel B. Pollak is a senior editor at Breitbart News and host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday nights from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PT). He is the author of “The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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