U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that Russia is responsible for two recently fabricated videos circulating on social media, which falsely allege that Haitians illegally voted in Georgia and that Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband received a $500,000 bribe from entertainer Sean Combs.
The U.S. government issued a warning regarding these fabrications on Friday, following a previous accusation against Russia for another misleading video claiming that ballots in Pennsylvania were being destroyed. Officials have expressed concerns that foreign entities are attempting to undermine public trust in the electoral process, with a senior official from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency describing the situation as a “fire hose of disinformation.”
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, along with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the FBI, released a statement attributing both videos to Russian efforts aimed at influencing voters and exacerbating partisan divisions. The senior official noted that these instances exemplify how foreign influence operations are intentionally eroding confidence in American democracy.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger condemned the video alleging illegal voting by Haitians after it gained traction on social media. He characterized the claim as false and indicative of targeted disinformation, likely stemming from foreign interference intended to create discord ahead of the election.
The videos were disseminated on social media by a user named Alpha Fox, who describes the account as “sometimes satire” and has nearly 650,000 followers. The account appears to belong to an individual in Massachusetts who did not respond to requests for comment. According to public metrics, the videos garnered hundreds of thousands of views, with one featuring a man claiming to be a Haitian immigrant discussing his voting activities in Georgia.
Further investigation revealed that one identification card shown in the video was a stock photo, and the address linked to it led to an office park in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The video was also shared in a group channel on social media created by a political action committee to collect allegations of voter fraud.
The government’s statement briefly mentioned the second video, which involved bribery allegations against a Democratic candidate by Combs. Experts indicated that this video first appeared on a fake news outlet associated with Russian disinformation campaigns. Researchers identified the videos as products of a Russian operation known as Storm-1516, which has previously disseminated various misleading content to foster distrust in the electoral process.
Raffensperger requested that the false video regarding Georgia be removed from the social media platform, and it has since been taken down. However, the other video, which has been viewed 2.5 million times, remains available online.
As the election approaches, officials are working to counteract false narratives, although claims of election fraud often gain significant traction. A recent video falsely suggesting that ballots in Pennsylvania had been destroyed was quickly debunked by local election officials, who attributed its creation to Russian disinformation efforts.
Intelligence officials have noted a shift in Russian disinformation strategies, focusing more on election conduct rather than direct allegations of fraud. The government statement emphasized that these videos are part of a broader Russian initiative to raise unfounded concerns about the integrity of U.S. elections and to deepen divisions among the American populace.
Despite the emergence of these videos, experts suggest that there is currently less disinformation regarding voting irregularities compared to previous election cycles, possibly reflecting a strategic decision by Russian operatives. Intelligence officials anticipate that disinformation efforts will escalate if the election results are contested.
In addition to Russian activities, U.S. intelligence agencies have indicated that Iran is also attempting to intervene in the election, favoring Harris while seeking to exacerbate political divisions. Iranian-backed hackers have targeted the Trump campaign, and U.S. officials have monitored potential Iranian plots against Trump.
Harris has publicly denounced Iran as a significant threat to the U.S., and the Biden administration has warned that any plots against Trump would be treated as acts of war. Analysts suggest that Iran may be hesitant to support either candidate due to uncertainty about the post-election landscape.