There’s the way Mark Warner decided to respond to the $10 million Russia scheme to pay far-right influencers to sow blatant political disinformation, by calling it what it is – yet another attempt by foreign actors to influence the outcome of our elections.
And then there’s the way Marco Rubio responded.
You know, making it out to be much ado about nothing, obfuscating to the effect that, well, the people who got millions to say bad things about the U.S. and Ukraine were going to say them anyway, whether they got the millions from Russia to say it or not.
Yeah, that’s where we are.
ICYMI
- GOP-connected Virginia couple indicted in schemes related to Russian state TV, oligarch
- Trump, MAGA circling the wagons as new Russia scheme leads to federal charges
First, let’s hear from Warner, D-Va., the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee:
“Today’s announcement underscores what the Senate Intelligence Committee has repeatedly warned: foreign adversaries are acutely interested in meddling in our elections, using a wide range of tools to seek their preferred electoral outcomes and stoke division among Americans,” Warner said, referencing information from the indictments of two employees of RT, formerly Russia Today, a state-controlled propaganda outlet, for funneling millions of dollars through a Tennessee-based media company to pay far-right influencers to produce Trump-friendly content on the behalf of the Russian government.
Among the influencers on the payroll: Lauren Chen, Matt Christiansen, Benny Johnson, Tim Pool, Dave Rubin and Lauren Southern.
“We applaud federal law enforcement for taking steps today to hold Russia publicly accountable for its efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election,” Warner said. “With just 62 days until Election Day, we must remain vigilant, and the Senate Intelligence Committee will continue to work with the Intelligence Community to keep the American public alert to the threat posed by those seeking to disrupt the democratic process.”
That’s what we need the guy at the top of the Senate Intelligence Committee to be saying about this.
Then there’s Rubio, R-Fla., the ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
“Little Marco,” as Donald Trump dubbed him in the 2016 Republican nomination race, went on “Hannity” on Fox News Thursday night with U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, to defend the influencers.
After Moreno called the indictments “a clear violation of the First Amendment” and accused the Justice Department of trying to dictate to citizens “what information we’re allowed to see,” Rubio piled on.
“Disinformation is something totally different from what they are going after and describing. Disinformation is when you make up things that aren’t true, and you spread it, and people think they’re true,” Rubio said.
“In this particular case, we are talking about pre-existing political opinions in the United States. These are pre-existing political opinions that have existed well before any Russian engagement or involvement or what have you. One of the indictments that came out yesterday, these people that they say were being funded by the secret donor that was hiding their true identity, they already had these opinions. They already believe in these things. They legitimately believe in the views that they’re espousing.
“They were victims,” Rubio said in defense of the influencers caught red-handed.
“They were targets of a fraud. Someone posing as just a regular investor had Russian money behind them.”
Rubio’s argument: these chuckers actually believe the lies they were told by their handlers that they had to say.
It wasn’t about the millions. They’re just useful idiots.
Thanks, Little Marco.
Question for Mark Warner here: why do you still hang out with this guy?
Video: Warner, Rubio on Russia conspiracy
Share
Chris Graham
