Pro-Trump blogger admits he took money from Russia to post fake news about the US election - CNN

An influential American blogger who supports presidential candidate Donald Trump has revealed that he received $100 from a Russian propagandist for publishing a fake video of Haitian immigrants voting in the US presidential election.

Source: CNN

Details: The blogger said the payment was one of several he received from “a registered Russian agent” to post on social media ahead of the election.

The pro-Trump influencer writes messages on platform X (Twitter) and has an account @AlphaFox78. He is an American living in Massachusetts. The Haitian immigrant claims in his fake video that he will vote for Vice President Kamala Harris at least twice in the state of Georgia.

The Foreign Minister of Georgia refuted this recording. He said everything in the video was fake – it was created by Russian influencers using Russian actors.

The blogger said he received $100 from Russian propaganda podcaster Simeon Boikov, known on the Internet as AussieCossack. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to CNN that several payments had been sent from Boikov to the blogger in Massachusetts.

Documents reviewed by CNN show Boykov is a registered foreign agent for Russia in Australia, where he works for Russian state media and posts online in English and Russian.

It is known that Boikov has recently been granted Russian citizenship and is currently seeking asylum at the Russian Consulate in Sydney. He has a history of publishing pro-Kremlin disinformation. CNN’s investigation found that Boikov had played some role in Russian disinformation campaigns, including those targeting the 2024 US presidential election.

Sources in the US and European intelligence agencies told CNN that the Russian disinformation network produces staged propaganda videos that are later promoted by US influencers on social media.

Background: The American presidential elections will take place on Tuesday, November 5. Americans are choosing between former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris.

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