The Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s (ODNI) Foreign Malign Influence Center (FMIC) reported that the intelligence community has “not observed any foreign actor seeking to interfere in the conduct of the 2024 elections,” challenging recent remarks by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
While the FMIC noted that Russia “poses the most active foreign influence threat” to the election, no evidence of actual meddling was found. These statements come in contrast to Garland's warnings about foreign influence attempts.
Just days earlier, Garland had announced efforts to address what he claimed were Russian-backed schemes to influence the upcoming election. He unveiled an indictment against two Russia Today (RT) employees, accusing them of funneling $10 million to an American company, Tenet Media, owned by Lauren Cheng and Liam Donovan, to promote pro-Russia content. The DOJ alleges that the funds were used to hire conservative influencers such as Benny Johnson, Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Lauren Southern, though none of them have been accused of wrongdoing.
Left-leaning media outlets and figures have widely reported on these DOJ allegations, leading to what some see as a coordinated smear campaign against the targeted conservative influencers, some of whom are known for their pro-Trump content.
In addition to the indictment, the DOJ seized 32 internet domains allegedly controlled by Russia to impersonate American media outlets in an attempt to influence voters, including in the 2024 presidential election between Kamala Harris and President Trump. Garland emphasized the seriousness of these alleged schemes, stating, “The Russian government — including at its highest levels — is willing to go to great lengths to undermine our democratic process.”
Read the report here.
