John Mark Dougan reportedly focused US voters with deepfakes, an accusation he denies
A former US marine has orchestrated a “misinformation” marketing campaign concentrating on the staff of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris at Russia’s behest, the Washington Submit has claimed, citing paperwork offered by an unidentified European intelligence service. John Mark Dougan, nevertheless, has denied any ties to the Russian authorities, suggesting that the paper relied on fabricated supplies.
In accordance with a bundle of over 150 paperwork reviewed by the Submit, Dougan was funded by the GRU, Russia’s army intelligence service, with some wires reportedly courting again to the time when his community was having bother accessing Western AI providers and wanted an in-house AI generator to create content material.
The paper claimed that the ex-marine was “answerable for content material on dozens of pretend information websites,” together with DC Weekly, Chicago Chronicle, and Atlanta Observer, accusing Dougan of spearheading an info marketing campaign concentrating on American voters. Consultants interviewed by the Submit additionally mentioned they believed Dougan was the one who stood behind a faux video accusing Tim Walz, Harris’ working mate, of sexual assault.
In accordance with the article, there are actually considerations that Dougan might quickly shift his focus from “smearing Harris” to undermining the integrity of US elections. McKenzie Sadeghi, a researcher at NewsGuard, mentioned that the ex-marine “has a transparent understanding of what would resonate with Western audiences,” suggesting that that is what made his efforts simpler.
Dougan is reportedly linked to GRU officer Yury Khoroshenky and is sponsored by an institute led by Alexandr Dugin, a Russian thinker, political commentator, and proponent of building a “Euro-Asian empire” able to preventing the US-led Western world order.
The ex-marine, who obtained Russian citizenship in 2023 after dwelling within the nation for a number of years, has denied having something to do with creating the above-mentioned media community, and insisted that “nobody sends me cash for something.” He additionally insisted that the paperwork will need to have been fabricated. “Hypothetically, in the event that they had been my websites, then I’m merely preventing fireplace with fireplace as a result of the West is f*****g mendacity about all the pieces that’s occurring,” he added.
Dugin additionally denied claims of hyperlinks to Russian intelligence, including that “any suggestion about… makes an attempt to govern overseas journalists or affect the political panorama within the US are utterly unjustified.”
Dougan beforehand accused the US authorities of stationing organic laboratories on Ukrainian soil whereas denouncing Vladimir Zelensky as an American “corrupt puppet” who had “offered out [his] folks for cash.”
The ex-marine fled to Russia in 2016 after claiming he was being persecuted by the FBI for creating the web site PBSOtalk.org, which allowed customers to anonymously submit instances of violations by US regulation enforcement.
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