US sanctions Russian and Iranian groups over 2024 election interference

Jan 2

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Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting two foreign organizations accused of attempting to interfere in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The sanctions focus on a Russian group, the Center for Geopolitical Expertise, linked to Moscow’s foreign military intelligence agency, the GRU, and an Iranian group, the Cognitive Design Production Center, tied to the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

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According to the Treasury Department, both organizations are behind efforts to spread disinformation and create division among U.S. voters. The Russian-linked group is accused of using artificial intelligence to generate fake news stories and manipulate videos.

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The group allegedly created online videos designed to smear the reputation of Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, and ran a network of more than 100 fake websites spreading false claims about the 2024 election.

The Iranian group is accused of planning similar influence operations since at least 2023, aimed at inciting socio-political unrest in the U.S., according to the Treasury Department’s press release.

Treasury officials said the sanctions are part of a broader effort to protect U.S. elections from foreign interference. The sanctions freeze all assets of the targeted organizations in the U.S. and prevent American individuals and entities from engaging with or investing in them.

This move follows multiple warnings from the FBI about the growing threat of foreign influence in U.S. elections.

“Today’s sanctions build on numerous previous U.S. government actions that have disrupted Iran’s attempts to undermine confidence in our democratic institutions, and Russia’s global malign influence campaigns and illicit cyber activities,” The Treasury Department said in a statement.

It added, “The United States continues to closely monitor efforts by malicious actors to influence or interfere in the integrity of our elections. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.”

Tags: 2024 Elections, Election security, FBI, Islamic Republic of Iran, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Russia, Russian Defense Ministry, Sanctions, U.S. Treasury Department

[Karah Rucker]

THE U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT HAS ANNOUNCED NEW SANCTIONS TARGETING TWO FOREIGN ORGANIZATIONS ACCUSED OF ATTEMPTING TO INTERFERE IN THE 2024 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

THE SANCTIONS TARGET A RUSSIA GROUP LINKED TO MOSCOW’S FOREIGN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE AGENCY –

AND AN IRANIAN GROUP LINKED BACK TO THE COUNTRY’S MILITARY GROUP.

THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT IS ALLEGING BOTH ARE BEHIND EFFORTS TO SPREAD DISINFORMATION AND SOW DIVISION AMONG AMERICAN VOTERS.

THE GROUP WITH TIES TO RUSSIA’S GOVERNMENT USED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO GENERATE FAKE NEWS STORIES AND MANIPULATE VIDEOS – ACCORDING TO THE U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT.

THE GROUP ALLEGEDLY MADE ONLINE VIDEOS ATTEMPTING TO SMEAR THE IMAGE OF VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS’ RUNNING MATE TIM WALZ –

AND ACCORDING TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT –

RAN A NETWORK OF OVER 100 FAKE WEBSITES DESIGNED TO DECEIVE AN AMERICAN AUDIENCE – SPREADING FALSE CLAIMS REGARDING THE 2024 ELECTION.

THE GROUP WITH TIES TO IRAN’S ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD IS ACCUSED OF PLANNING SIMILAR INFLUENCE OPERATIONS SINCE AT LEAST 2023 –

AIMED AT CREATING SOCIO-POLITICAL UNREST IN THE U.S. –

ACCORDING TO THE TREASURY’S PRESS RELEASE.

TREASURY OFFICIALS SAY THE NEW SANCTIONS ARE PART OF A BROADER EFFORT TO SAFEGUARD U.S. ELECTIONS FROM FOREIGN INTERFERENCE.

THE SANCTIONS FREEZE ALL ASSETS IN THE U.S. BELONGING TO THE TARGETED ORGANIZATIONS – AND IT PREVENTS ANY AMERICAN ENGAGEMENT OR INVESTMENTS WITH THE RUSSIAN AND IRANIAN GROUPS.

THIS MOVE COMES AFTER MULTIPLE WARNINGS FROM THE FBI ABOUT THE GROWING THREAT OF FOREIGN INFLUENCE IN U.S. ELECTIONS.

THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT SAID IN A STATEMENT –

“Today’s sanctions build on numerous previous U.S. government actions that have disrupted Iran’s attempts to undermine confidence in our democratic institutions and Russia’s global malign influence campaigns and illicit cyber activities. The United States continues to closely monitor efforts by malicious actors to influence or interfere in the integrity of our elections. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.”

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