INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The United States indicted two employees of Russia's RT and imposed sanctions on top editors of the state-funded news outlet on Wednesday,
accusing them of seeking to influence the 2024 United States presidential election.The 10 individuals and two entities sanctioned by the
Treasury Department include RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonovna Simonyan and deputy Elizaveta Yuryevna Brodskaia."Today's action
deteriorate public trust in our institutions," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said."Treasury will not waver in our commitment to
safeguarding our democratic principles and the integrity of our election systems," Yellen said.Attorney General Merrick Garland, chairing a
meeting of the Election Threats Task Force, said two Russia-based RT employees have been indicted in New York for money laundering and
violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.They are accused of funding a Tennessee-based company "to disseminate content deemed favorable
to the Russian government," Garland said, and contracting United States -based social media influencers to share content "consistent with
Russia's interest in amplifying United States domestic divisions."RT, in a reaction on its Telegram channel, dismissed the United States
allegations, calling them "hackneyed cliches.""Three things in life are inevitable: death, taxes and 'RT's interference in American
elections'," RT said.Garland said the Justice Department has separately seized 32 internet domains that the Russian government used "to
engage in a covert campaign to interfere and influence the outcome of our country's elections."He said members of President Vladimir
Putin's "inner circle" had directed Russian public relations companies "to promote disinformation and state-sponsored narratives as part
of a program to influence the 2024 United States presidential election."The United States has accused Russia of seeking to influence United
States elections dating back to the 2016 contest between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.The Treasury Department said
Simonyan, RT's editor-in-chief, was a "central figure in Russian government malign influence efforts."Brodskaia, RT's deputy
editor-in-chief, "reported to Russian President Putin and other government officials," it said.Following the 2020 vote, US intelligence
officials accused Putin of authorizing "influence operations" aimed at impacting the vote in favor of Trump.United States officials have
repeatedly warned of efforts by foreign powers, including Russia, to meddle in the American presidential election in November.Director of
National Intelligence Avril Haines, in an appearance before a Senate committee in May, singled out Russia, China and Iran as the worst
most active foreign threat to our elections," Haines said.
