On Wednesday morning, US Eastern Time (September 4), American media reported that the Biden administration is set to accuse Russia of ongoing interference in the upcoming November presidential election. The Attorney General is expected to announce sanctions or other enforcement actions as soon as the afternoon.
According to reports from two senior officials cited by CBS, the Biden administration plans to take a series of actions, including criminal charges, to counter the Kremlin’s efforts to influence public opinion in the United States.
CNN also reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the Russian state media network RT (formerly known as Russia Today) will be a focal point of the US sanctions.
Additionally, it is expected that the US will disclose the name of another Russian social engineering firm. Three sources indicated that the US Treasury has already imposed sanctions on the company for allegedly operating fake news websites on behalf of the Russian government in Europe.
US officials have warned that since Russia’s interference in the 2016 US election, an increasing number of foreign adversaries have been attempting to meddle in American elections.
In June of this year, a group of hackers affiliated with the Iranian government breached the campaign team of Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, leaking some internal documents to the US media.
CBS reported that sources revealed that some of Russia’s suspected manipulation activities were carried out through the Russian network RT. Expected sanctions include Treasury Department sanctions and Justice Department enforcement actions. Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to hold a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
US intelligence agencies had previously assessed Russia’s desire to interfere in the 2024 US election and have labeled RT as a source of Russian propaganda and misinformation, requiring it to register as a foreign agent.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence explicitly stated in July that Russia was attempting to influence the US election to undermine support for the Democratic presidential candidate and efforts to provide military support to Ukraine.
In February of this year, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated in an NBC interview that the Biden administration is “concerned” about potential Russian interference in the 2024 election.
“This is not about politics,” Sullivan said. “This is about national security. This is a foreign adversary trying to manipulate American politics and democracy.”
US officials and network experts have stated that Russia has been using bots and fake social media accounts to spread false information to damage President Biden and other Democratic candidates running for re-election.
The US government has previously conducted multiple investigations into Russia’s interference in US elections, including Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the “Russia Gate” scandal (aimed at investigating whether Trump colluded with Russia to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election).
The “Russia Gate” investigation, which spanned several years, and a subsequent investigation by Special Counsel John Durham into the reverse “Russia Gate,” ultimately proved that there was no secret agreement between the Trump campaign team and Russia.