Russia spent millions in secret global political campaign, U.S. official says

 

Russia spent millions in 

secret global political 

campaign, U.S. official says

By Missy Ryan

September 13, 2022 at 3:34 p.m. EDT

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on Sept. 13. (Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Kremlin pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

Russia has secretly funneled at least $300 million to foreign political parties and candidates in more than two dozen countries since 2014 in an attempt to shape political events beyond its borders, according to a new U.S. intelligence review.

Moscow planned to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more as part of its covert campaign to weaken democratic systems and promote global political forces seen as aligned with Kremlin interests, according to the review, which the Biden administration commissioned this summer.

A senior U.S. official, who spoke to reporters Tuesday on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence findings, said the administration decided to declassify some of the review’s findings in an attempt to counter Russia’s ability to sway political systems in countries in Europe, Africa and elsewhere.

“By shining this light on Russian covert political financing and Russian attempts to undermine democratic processes, we’re putting these foreign parties and candidates on notice that if they accept Russian money secretly we can and we will expose it,” the official said.

The senior official pointed to one Asian country they declined to name where the Russian ambassador allegedly gave millions of dollars in cash to a presidential candidate. Officials said that Kremlin-linked forces have also used shell companies, think tanks and other means to influence political events, sometimes to the benefit of far-right groups.

A State Department démarche Monday to U.S. embassies in more than 100 countries described the alleged Russian activities and suggested steps the United States can take to push back, including sanctions and travel bans. The cable, which officials provided to reporters, named Russian oligarchs it said were involved in what it described as “financing schemes,” including Yevgeniy Prigozhin and Aleksandr Babakov. Prigozhin, who is wanted by the FBI, was charged by U.S. officials in 2018 with attempting to interfere in the 2016 U.S. elections.

This is a developing story that will be updated.