Photo: Matthew Miller
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller on Wednesday, September 4, detailed the measures the department will take in connection with the exposure of a covert Kremlin operation aimed at influencing the US presidential election.
According to Miller, the State Department is implementing a new policy “to restrict visas to certain individuals who, acting on behalf of Kremlin-backed media organizations, use those organizations as cover for covert activities and are responsible for or complicit in those malign efforts. Under U.S. law, visa information is confidential, and the department cannot identify specific individuals,” Voice of America reports.
In addition, the State Department has determined that the media holding Rossiya Segodnya and its subsidiaries RIA Novosti, TV Novosti, Ruptly, and Sputnik are foreign missions because they are effectively controlled by the government of the Russian Federation.
“As designated entities under the Foreign Missions Act, they are required to notify the State Department of all personnel working in the United States and disclose all information about real estate they own” in U.S. jurisdiction, Miller added.
In addition, the State Department launched the Rewards for Justice program to obtain information about potential foreign efforts to interfere in U.S. elections, including by organizations such as RaHDit — also known as Russian Angry Hackers Did It — which has a history of covert election meddling and poses a threat to the 2024 U.S. elections.
These actions are in addition to actions announced today by the Justice Department and new sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department, a State Department spokesperson said.
"As Secretary Blinken said in his statement just moments ago, foreign countries should understand that we will not tolerate malicious foreign actors intentionally interfering with or undermining free and fair elections," Miller said.
Russian state-owned media holding RT, formerly known as Russia Today, has gone beyond being a media organization, according to information released Wednesday by the Justice Department. The Justice Department found that RT contracted with a private company to spread Kremlin propaganda in an effort to influence the U.S. election and undermine democracy. RT management created this project and managed its activities.
Prepared by: Sergey Daga