A Russian network is actively spreading disinformation and deepfakes about Kamala Harris, US vice president and Democratic presidential candidate. This was reported today by the Washington Post after analyzing the information received from European intelligence services.
The main person involved in the investigation was John Mark Dugan, a former Florida sheriff who fled to Moscow and became an active propagandist financed by the Russian GRU. Uses deepfakes to undermine voter trust and misrepresent Harris’ positions.
The documents show that Dugan received funding from a senior GRU official and his activities focus on creating fake news. Since his work with new technology based on artificial intelligence, his sites and materials have received millions of visits.
Among the materials produced was a viral video discrediting vice presidential candidate Tim Walz. The video gained almost 5 million views on platform X in just 24 hours. As of September 2023, Dugan’s posts have received 64 million views.
Dugan, according to the newspaper, runs a variety of fake news sites, such as DC Weekly, and is active in an institute in Moscow founded by Alexander Dugin, the ideologue of Russian imperial policy. Dugin, whose ideas contributed to Russian aggression in Ukraine, also influences Dogan’s work.
Despite the accusations, Dugan maintains that he works independently and denies any ties to the GRU. However, their methods continue to raise concerns, especially in the run-up to the US elections, as there is a risk of further spread of disinformation and electoral manipulation.
Cursor previously wrote that Kamala Harris made a new statement about ending the war in Gaza.
