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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 20 OctOber 2018
Russian woman charged in first 2018 election meddling case

By DEB RIECHMANN and cluding on significant cur-
ERIC TUCKER rent events, such as deadly
Associated Press shootings in South Carolina
WASHINGTON (AP) — The and Las Vegas, prosecutors
U.S. accused a Russian said in court papers.
woman on Friday of help- One fake persona, regis-
ing oversee the finances of tered to “Bertha Malone,”
a sweeping, secretive ef- made over 400 Facebook
fort to sway American pub- posts containing inflamma-
lic opinion through social tory content. Another fake
media in the first federal Facebook account, in the
case alleging foreign in- name of “Rachell Edison,”
terference in the 2018 mid- made more than 700 posts
term elections. focused on gun control
The criminal complaint and the Second Amend-
against Elena Alekseevna ment.
Khusyaynova alleges that The Russian organizers of
Russians are using some the conspiracy advised
of the same techniques that the posts should reflect
to influence U.S. politics as various viewpoints, and
they relied on ahead of the they gave specific instruc-
2016 presidential election, tions to only share articles
methods laid bare by an from certain news websites
investigation from special Christopher Krebs, undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security’s National Protection to correspond to specific
counsel Robert Mueller into and Programs Directorate, speaks during a news conference on election cyber security, Friday, political views, prosecutors
possible coordination be- Oct. 19, 2018, in Arlington, Va. said.
tween Russia and Donald Associated Press After one news article tar-
Trump’s campaign. causing divisions on hot- countries are engaged in and local officials have geting Republican Sen.
Justice Department pros- button social issues like im- continuous efforts to influ- been able to prevent ac- John McCain appeared
ecutors claim that Khusy- migration and gun control. ence American policy and cess or quickly mitigate online with the headline
aynova, of St. Petersburg, The Justice Department voters in the upcoming these attempts. “McCain Says Thinking a
helped manage the fi- unsealed the criminal com- elections and beyond. Na- In the criminal complaint, Wall Will Stop Illegal Immi-
nances of a hidden but plaint on the same day tional security adviser John prosecutors say Khusyayno- gration is ‘Crazy,’” mem-
powerful Russian social me- that U.S. intelligence agen- Bolton heads to Russia on va worked for the same so- bers of the group were told
dia effort aimed at spread- cies, in a rare public state- Saturday. cial media troll farm that to brand him as “an old
ing distrust for American ment , asserted that Rus- The U.S. is concerned about was indicted earlier this geezer who has lost it and
political candidates and sia, China, Iran and other the foreign campaigns “to year by Mueller. The social who long ago belonged
undermine confidence in media effort outlined by in a home for the elderly.”
democratic institutions and prosecutors Friday largely They were also told to say
influence public sentiment mirrors Mueller’s criminal that McCain had a “path-
and government policies,” case against three Russian ological hatred toward
said the statement from companies, including the Donald Trump and toward
national security officials. Internet Research Agency, all his initiatives.”
The statement, which pro- and 13 Russians, including After another article ap-
vided no details about any one who is a close ally to peared about Mueller last
such efforts, said, “These Russian President Vladimir year, members of the troll
activities also may seek to Putin. farm were told to share the
influence voter percep- Prosecutors say the con- article and say Mueller was
tions and decision-making duct singled out on Friday a “puppet of the establish-
in the 2018 and 2020 U.S. runs afoul of criminal laws ment” who had connec-
elections.” that bar foreign nationals tions to the Democratic
The national security agen- from attempting to influ- Party and “who says things
cies said they currently do ence American elections that should either remove
not have any evidence or from engaging in po- him from his position or dis-
that voting systems have litical activities without first band the entire investiga-
been disrupted or compro- registering with the attor- tion commission.”
mised in ways that could ney general. The new prosecution was
result in changing vote Asked about the new ac- brought not by Mueller
counts or hampering the cusation against the Rus- but by the Justice Depart-
ability to tally votes in the sians at an appearance in ment’s national security
midterms, which are 2½ Arizona, Trump responded division and prosecutors
weeks away. that it had “nothing to do from the Eastern District of
“Some state and local gov- with me.” Virginia. There is no allega-
ernments have reported Since at least 2015, the tion in the complaint of co-
attempts to access their group created thousands ordination with the Trump
networks, which often in- of fake social media pro- campaign.
clude online voter registra- files and email accounts Russian Deputy Foreign
tion databases, using tac- that appeared to be from Minister Sergei Ryabkov
tics that are available to people inside the U.S. and said recently that Russia
state and nonstate cyber were aimed to “create has no intention of inter-
actors,” they said. and amplify divisive social fering in the midterm elec-
But so far, they said, state and political content,” in- tions. q