US sanctions Russian organization over election interference, Moscow responds

The US Treasury Department on December 31, 2024 imposed sanctions on two organizations in Iran and Russia, accusing them of trying to interfere in the 2024 US election.

In a statement, the US Treasury Department accused an entity of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and an organization linked to Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU) of trying to "incite political and social tensions and influence US voters in the 2024 US election," according to Reuters.

A polling station during the 2024 US presidential election on Election Day in Detroit, Michigan, US, November 5, 2024.

"The Iranian and Russian governments have targeted our electoral processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns," said Bradley Smith, acting undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence.

According to the US Treasury Department, the Cognitive Design Production Center has been planning influence operations on behalf of the IRGC since at least 2023 to incite tensions among US voters.

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The US Treasury Department also accused the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE) of spreading disinformation about candidates in the US election, manipulating a video to create "baseless accusations regarding the 2024 vice presidential candidate". The department did not specify which candidates were targeted.

The US Treasury Department also asserted that CGE, under the direction of the GRU, used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create disinformation that was spread on a network of websites designed to look like legitimate news agencies.

The US Treasury Department accused the GRU of providing financial support to CGE and a network of US-based coordinators to build and maintain their AI-powered servers, and of maintaining a network of at least 100 websites used in disinformation operations.

In response, the Russian Embassy in the US affirmed in a statement sent to Reuters: "Russia has not and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including the United States. As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasized, we respect the will of the American people. Any insinuations about a "Russian conspiracy" are malicious slander, fabricated for use in internal political struggles in the United States."

The Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-cam-van-to-chuc-o-nga-voi-cao-buoc-can-thiep-bau-cu-moscow-phan-ung-185250101092219012.htm