Two videos, which were allegedly made by “Russian agents of influence” who could influence the vote, are particularly singled out.
“Russia is the most active threat.” In a joint statement, several American intelligence services accused Russia on Monday, November 4 of being “actively” involved in disinformation operations in the seven key states of the country which must determine the result of the presidential election this Tuesday. “These attempts risk inciting violence, including against election officials”are alarmed by the federal police (FBI), the office of the director of national intelligence (ODNI) and the cybersecurity agency (CISA).
According to the ODNI, a video recently circulated on social networks with an interview with a person claiming that fraud with false ballots and alterations of electoral lists was to favor Kamala Harris in Arizona. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes called the video “completely bogus” and his state, considered a bastion of electoral conspiracy, took measures to protect its electoral agents and voting operations.
“Russian agents of influence”
Same observation in Georgia, where his counterpart, Brad Raffensperger, reported Thursday“a video purporting to show a Haitian immigrant possessing several Georgia ID cards and claiming to have voted several times”. The FBI, ODNI and CISA had confirmed that “Russian agents of influence had fabricated it” this video. Moscow denounced on Saturday these “baseless allegations” et “all the insinuations about “Russian machinations” [comme] malicious slander”.
Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin hold the key to the indirect universal suffrage vote, thanks to which Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump will access the White House. These «Swing States»who can swing to one side or the other, are already the target of allegations by Republicans from “cheats” and of «fraud» which would be led by Democrats.
This is not the first time during this American presidential campaign that Washington has accused Moscow, but also Tehran, of engaging in disinformation operations on social networks in order to provoke unrest. As during Donald Trump's victorious campaign in 2016, Russia denied any destabilizing activity on the Internet and assured “respect the will of the American people”.
