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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 19 april 2023

U.S. charges 4 Americans, 3 Russians in election discord case

By CURT ANDERSON people” in the U.S., ac-
Associated Press cording to the indictment.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Among other things, the in-
Four Americans affiliated dictment charges that an
with a Black empower- unnamed candidate for lo-
ment and political organi- cal office in St. Petersburg
zation have been charged received clandestine fund-
along with three Russians ing and political strategy
with conspiring to covertly from the group. Ionov and
sow discord in U.S. society, another Russian said at one
spread Russian propagan- point that their Florida effort
da and interfere illegally in would extend to the 2020
U.S. elections, according presidential campaign,
to an indictment unsealed which they called the
Tuesday. “main topic of the year.”
The U.S. citizens and two The Uhuru group did have a
Russians were added to candidate who ran unsuc-
an existing case in Tampa, cessfully for St. Petersburg
Florida, federal court in- City Council in 2019, Eritha
volving Aleksandr Ionov, Akile Cainion. who is not
described by prosecu- charged in the indictment.
tors as the founder of a She held a news confer-
Moscow-based organiza- ence in 2022 in which she
tion funded by the Russian defended Russia, saying
government to carry out a “world colonial powers
clandestine influence cam- Omali Yeshitela, chairman of the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement, St. have been collaborating
paign in the U.S. The four Petersburg, addresses the recent killings of black males, and police on July 8, 2016, in Dallas. against Russia” for more
Associated Press
Americans are all part of than a century.
the African People’s Social- States,” said Assistant At- charged with conspiracy Russia or that any members St. Petersburg Mayor Ken
ist Party and Uhuru Move- torney General Matthew to defraud the U.S. Hess, committed a crime. Welch, a Democrat, called
ment, which has locations Olsen of the Justice Depart- Yeshitela and Nevel are Prosecutors said Ionov op- the allegations troubling.
in St. Petersburg, Florida, ment’s National Security Di- also charged with imper- erated an entity called the “It is important to under-
and St. Louis. Among those vision. sonating agents of a for- Anti-Globalization Move- score that the City of St.
charged is Omali Yeshitela, “The department will not eign government. Ionov ment of Russia that was Petersburg does not sup-
chairman of the U.S.-based hesitate to expose and and the other two Russians, used to carry out its U.S. port, condone or tolerate
organization which was prosecute those who sow who remain in their coun- influence efforts, overseen any foreign government
raided by the FBI last sum- discord and corrupt U.S. try, face the fraud conspir- by the Russian intelligence engaging in activities to
mer when Ionov was origi- elections in service of hos- acy charge. Court records service known as the FSB. undermine or influence
nally charged. tile foreign interests, regard- did not list attorneys for any They recruited U.S.-based our elections,” Welch said
“Russia’s foreign intel- less of whether the culprits of the seven defendants, organizations to help sway in a statement. Yeshitela,
ligence service alleg- are U.S. citizens or foreign and it wasn’t immediately elections, make it appear the indictment adds, trav-
edly weaponized our First individuals abroad,” Olsen clear if they have been ar- there was strong support in eled from Tampa to Mos-
Amendment rights free- said in a news release. rested. An email seeking the U.S. for Russia’s invasion cow in 2015 to meet with
doms Russia denies to its Yeshitela and three other comment was sent to the of Ukraine and backing ef- Ionov and other Russians to
own citizens to divide U.S. citizens Penny Joanne African People’s Socialist forts such as a 2015 United “communicate on future
Americans and interfere Hess, Jesse Nevel and Au- Party, which has previously Nations petition to decry cooperation,” according
in elections in the United gustus C. Romain Jr are denied working covertly for the “genocide of African to an Ionov email. q

Littlest intruder: Toddler crawls through White House fence

WASHINGTON (AP) — A cu- unification. Officers briefly complex since the White
rious toddler on Tuesday questioned the parents be- House fence was doubled
earned the title of one of fore allowing them to con- in height to roughly 13 feet
the tiniest White House in- tinue on their way. (3.96-meters) in recent
truders after he squeezed Secret Service spokesman years after a series of secu-
through the metal fencing Anthony Guglielmi said of- rity breaches.
on the north side of the ex- ficers “encountered a curi- While taller, the new fence
ecutive mansion. ous young visitor along the has an additional inch of
U.S. Secret Service Uni- White House north fence space between pickets, for
formed Division officers, line who briefly entered a total of 5½ inches (12.7
who are responsible for se- White House grounds.” centimeters) between
curity at the White House, “The White House security posts.
walked across the North systems instantly triggered Older children have some-
Lawn to retrieve the tot and Secret Service officers and times become stuck in the
reunite him with his parents the toddler and parents iconic barrier, which has
U.S. Secret Service uniformed division police officers carry a on Pennsylvania Avenue. were quickly reunited,” he also been the scene of
young child who crawled through the White House fence on Access to the complex said in a statement. demonstrations, with pro-
Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. was briefly restricted while It may be the first suc- testers chaining themselves
Associated Press officers conducted the re- cessful intrusion onto the to the fence.q