Slashdot Mirror
Justice Department Charges Russian Woman With Interference in Midterm Elections (washingtonpost.com)
The Justice Department on Friday charged a Russian woman for her role in a conspiracy to interfere with the 2018 U.S. election, marking the first criminal case prosecutors have brought against a foreign national for interfering in the upcoming midterms. From a report: Elena Khusyaynova, 44, was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Prosecutors said she managed the finances of "Project Lakhta," a foreign influence operation they said was designed "to sow discord in the U.S. political system" by pushing arguments and misinformation online about a whole host of divisive political issues, including immigration, the Confederate flag, gun control, and the NFL national anthem protests. The charges against Khusyaynova came just as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned that it was concerned about "ongoing campaigns" by Russia, China and Iran to interfere with the upcoming Midterm elections and even the 2020 race -- an ominous warning that comes just weeks before voters head to the polls.
I'm sorry but I agree with this being a concern of free speech. There are many organizations (Political Action Councils?) that do just this. When was the last time you saw a mud slinging commercial about a candidate and how horrible they are for doing X Y or Z. Or how Prop ABC is wrong for your state because it will destroy everything you hold dear? Not that I like any of that content, but I will die defending the right of people to push it.