The Washington Post has reported, external that an American living in Moscow has allegedly been funded by Russian intelligence to circulate stories targeting Kamala Harris’s campaign, citing documents from European officials.
The BBC has not independently verified the documents or the payments.
Earlier this year we reported on the activities of the man at the centre of the allegations, John Mark Dougan.
Dougan has created a network of online news sites filled mostly with stories written by AI – but the network also carries completely invented stories, backed by evidence such as fake videos, designed to undermine Ukraine and US foreign policy.
Occasionally – like in the case of a fake story about a sports car purchased by Ukraine’s first lady – they go viral.
Stories that originated in the Dougan network – including another false tale about yachts allegedly bought with US aid money – have been repeated by US lawmakers including JD Vance, the Ohio senator who’s Donald Trump’s vice-presidential nominee.
The Post says Dougan’s operation, a former Florida sheriff’s deputy who fled to Russia after facing an investigation, is connected to the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence arm. I’ve contacted Dougan for comment.
Content retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c1jrld1kjp3t.
