US intelligence claims Russia trying to influence American elections – AP

Russia is turning to unsuspecting Americans and commercial PR firms to spread disinformation about the US presidential race, reported AP with reference to the words of high-ranking intelligence officials.

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One of the sources of the agency stated that the American public should be aware that the content they read on the Internet and social networks may be foreign propaganda.

He stressed that Russia remains the biggest threat when it comes to election disinformation, although there are signs that Iran is stepping up its efforts and China is treading carefully when it comes to 2024.

Kremlin-linked groups are increasingly hiring marketing and communications firms based in Russia to outsource some of their digital propaganda work, sources said.

Two such firms reportedly became the target of new US sanctions announced in March. These two Russian companies created fake websites and social media profiles to spread Kremlin disinformation.

The disinformation could focus on candidates or voting, or on issues already under debate in the United States, such as immigration, crime or the war in Gaza, the sources added.

On July 21, the current President of the United States, Joe Biden, announced his withdrawal from the presidential race, backing the candidacy of Kamala Harris.

On July 23, the Associated Press wrote that Harris collected $81 million for her election campaign in one day, which is a historic record for Democrats.

Donald Trump's headquarters considers the transfer of money from Biden's campaign to Vice President Harris to be a violation of the law  and therefore filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission.

On July 25, Harris published the first campaign video on the X page, announcing that she had officially decided to run for president.

On July 28, it was reported that Harris had raised $200 million in the first week of her election campaign.