The Truth About the Tenet Media Scandal

Introduction

A massive unfolding drama has erupted as a Department of Justice (DOJ) indictment alleges that Tenet Media was funded by Russia as part of an election meddling campaign. The indictment purportedly reveals that prominent right-wing influencers were unwittingly compensated with significant sums of money to promote Kremlin talking points. Although it seems these influencers were unaware of the money's origins, Lauren Chen, the founder of Tenet Media, allegedly knew about the connections to Russia.

One potential warning sign was their primary contact, Constantine Kalashnikov, a figure associated with RT, a media outlet funded by the Kremlin. Another indicator of potential dubiousness surfaced when one of the founders was reportedly seen Googling "time in Moscow" after a payment request went unanswered. Influencers were then introduced to a presumed Belgian investor named Edward Goran, who held no social media presence, raising further concerns.

Shockingly, despite the funds flowing into Tenet Media, their operations yielded very little fruitful results. The vast majority of the content produced was centered on culture war issues, with influencers, like Chen, actually discouraging their followers from voting for Donald Trump, the very candidate the Russians purportedly aimed to support.

The indictment revealed that the Russians instructed Tenet Media to produce a video blaming the U.S. for a terror attack on Moscow by ISIS, but most of their work didn’t relate to Russian topics at all. Influencers, who received financial backing, claimed they were never directed on what content to create, and their opinions mostly reflected pre-existing views they had expressed long before their association with Tenet Media.

Despite the hefty funding—some influencers allegedly received exorbitant fees; for instance, Tim Po was reportedly paid $ 100,000 a week for one podcast, while Dave Rubin received $ 400,000 monthly for minimal viewing content—this operation was seen as a disappointing failure. Reports suggested influencers used the cash mainly to enhance their personal brands rather than effectively promote Russian interests.

The DOJ also seized 32 Russian-controlled internet domains, some of which contained remarkably fake social media accounts mimicking major outlets like CNN and BBC. These domains typically drew only scant attention online, gathering meager followership.

Most of the influencers involved in Tenet Media have since claimed they were misled and asserted that the FBI considers them victims. However, some critics have pointed out a lack of due diligence in questioning the origins of such substantial payments.

Lauren Chen and her co-founder Liam Donovan faced raids when the indictment was issued, leading to the seizure of their electronic devices, based on an assertion that their operations did not align with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which mandates registration for foreign agents.

Amidst this scandal, some speculated on the timing of the indictment, pointing out its proximity to the upcoming elections. There were no charges filed at the time of reporting, leading to questions regarding the overreach when channel deletions occurred under allegations alone, impacting individual creators over mere accusations.

This ongoing situation presents an opportunity for the political regime and mainstream media to cast Trump-aligned influencers as pro-Russian agents, echoing sentiments from previous election cycles. There may be legitimate concerns regarding matters like inflation, immigration, and diverse social issues that are now rebranded as pro-Kremlin narratives.

In conclusion, the Tenet Media scandal exemplifies a complex web of misleading information, potential exploitation, and severe consequences surrounding the coordination between foreign interests and domestic influencers, all while raising further questions about trust, accountability, and the integrity of political narratives.

Keywords

• Tenet Media
• DOJ indictment
• election meddling
• Russia
• influencers
• Kremlin
• propaganda
• Lauren Chen
• Constantine Kalashnikov
• FARA
• social media
• political scandal

FAQ

What is the Tenet Media scandal about?
The Tenet Media scandal involves allegations that Tenet Media was funded by Russia to promote election meddling, with prominent influencers unknowingly participating in the campaign by sharing Kremlin talking points.

Who is Lauren Chen?
Lauren Chen is the founder of Tenet Media, who allegedly knew about the Russian funding behind the organization.

How much were influencers paid?
Some influencers received exorbitant payments; for instance, Tim Po was reported to earn $ 100,000 a week, while Dave Rubin reportedly earned $ 400,000 per month for minimal viewership on their content.

What were the outcomes of the DOJ investigation?
The DOJ seized 32 Russian-controlled internet domains and took action against Tenet Media’s founders, leading to concerns about compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

Why do some critics believe the influencers should have questioned their funding?
Critics argue that the influencers failed to interrogate the source of their funds seriously, especially when faced with names lacking an internet footprint.