Here's how Russia is trying to influence the election, according to the DOJ
FILE-Voters cast their ballots in the voting booths at an early vote location in North Charleston, South Carolina. (Photo by LOGAN CYRUS/AFP via Getty Images)
The Biden administration announced criminal charges, the seizure of internet domains and sanctions related to Russian misinformation attempts to influence the 2024 presidential election in the U.S.
One criminal case accuses two employees of RT, a Russian-state-funded media organization, of funding a Tennessee-based content creation company to publish almost 2,000 videos containing Russian propaganda. According to the Associated Press, the defendants used fraudulent identities and the Tennessee company was unaware it was being manipulated by Russia.
The Russian media company was forced by the Department of Justice to register as a foreign agent.
RELATED: What is Spamouflage? How the Chinese are attempting to influence the election
Government officials also seized 32 internet domains used by the Kremlin to spread Russian propaganda and weaken global support for Ukraine.
Attorney General Merrick Garland told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the actions relate to Russia's use of state media to enlist American influencers to spread propaganda and misinformation.
Separately, officials tell the AP that Russia is still a major threat to elections even as the FBI probes a hack by Iran of Donald Trump's campaign and an attempted breach of the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris campaign.
The U.S. government's concerns with Russia involve cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns to influence the November election.
These practices include using state media like RT to push anti-U.S. content, and networks of phony websites and social media accounts that bolster claims into American's online discussions. Usually, these organizations create messaging around political topics like immigration, or the war in Gaza.
The AP noted that organizations connected to the Kremlin are hiring marketing and communications companies in Russia to outsource some of the work of producing digital propaganda, officials told reporters.