US accuses RT of meddling, seizes domains; Moscow slams 'witch-hunt'

US authorities unsealed an indictment against two employees of Russian broadcaster RT and seized 32 internet domains on accusations of interference in the November presidential elections.

The Justice Department said on Wednesday it charged Russian nationals Kostiantyn Kalashnikov, 31, and Elena Afanasyeva, 27, with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

They are accused of being involved "in a $10 million scheme to create and distribute content to US audiences with hidden Russian government messaging," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

He said the internet domains were used by the Russian government and Russian government-sponsored actors to engage in a covert campaign to interfere in and influence the outcome of US elections.

"The charges unsealed this morning do not represent the end of the investigation. It remains active and ongoing," he said at a news conference.

Garland also alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, including Sergei Kiriyenko, directed Russian public relations companies to promote disinformation and state-sponsored narratives as part of a campaign to influence the US presidential election.

RT responded with ridicule: "Three things are certain in life: death, taxes and RT's interference in the US elections," the media outlet told Reuters news agency.

'Malicious operations'

In a statement following the announcement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the department is taking three steps to counter Kremlin-backed media outlets' "malicious operations" to influence the US elections.

Those include introducing a new visa restriction policy, Foreign Missions Act determinations of RT's parent company, Rossiya Segodnya, and other subsidiaries RIA Novosti, RT, TV-Novosti, Sputnik and Ruptly.

The US also will announce a Rewards for Justice offer, said Blinken.

The State Department will also act to "hinder malicious actors from using Kremlin-supported media as a cover to conduct such covert influence activities," said Blinken.

Garland said Russia is not the only foreign power seeking to interfere in US elections, indicating that Washington has observed Iranian activity during the election cycle.

"We will be relentlessly aggressive in countering and disrupting attempts by Russia and Iran, as well as China or any other malign actor interfering in elections and undermining our democracy," said Garland.

Russia's response

Russian lawmaker Maria Butina said that US claims were nonsense and that Moscow felt that the only winner of the election would be the US military-industrial complex.

"The US claims were and are pure rubbish and a witch hunt," Butina, who spent 15 months in US prison for acting as an unregistered Russian agent, told the Reuters when asked about the CNN report.

"Russia thinks it does not matter who wins the US elections – the only winner is the US private military-industrial complex. That is what matters – and nothing else," Butina said.

The Kremlin and the Russian Foreign Ministry have repeatedly said that Moscow has not meddled in the US election, but is watching it closely.

Previous US intelligence assessments have found that Moscow tried to meddle in the 2016 and 2020 elections. Russian officials have suggested that the United States has also meddled in its domestic affairs.