Allegedly directed “years-long foreign malign influence campaign”
Last week, the Justice Department unsealed the indictment of Aleksandr Victorovich Ionov. Ionov is accused of funding three political groups in Florida, Georgia, and California, feeding them propaganda to publish on behalf of the Russian government. He has been charged with conspiring to organize American citizens while working with the Russian Federal Security Service. If he is convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
“Ionov allegedly orchestrated a brazen influence campaign, turning U.S. political groups and U.S. citizens into instruments of the Russian government,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice will not allow Russia to unlawfully sow division and spread misinformation inside the United States.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Assistant Attorney General Olsen as he provides oversight in this case.
- For Justice Department officials seeking to uphold federal laws to protect national security.
Sources: The Hill, Reuters
