Former US marine denies spreading Harris campaign at Russia’s behest

(MENAFN) John Mark Dougan, a former U.S. Marine, has been accused of orchestrating a misinformation campaign targeting Kamala Harris's presidential campaign at the behest of the Russian government, according to a report by the Washington Post. This claim is based on documents provided by an unnamed European intelligence agency. Dougan has vehemently denied any connections to Russia, asserting that the Washington Post relied on fabricated information.

The Post's investigation, which reviewed over 150 documents, alleges that Dougan is receiving funding from the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service. Some of the financial transactions reportedly date back to a time when Dougan's network faced challenges in accessing Western artificial intelligence services and required an in-house AI generator to produce content.

The article claims that Dougan has been responsible for managing content across numerous fake news sites, including DC Weekly, Chicago Chronicle, and Atlanta Observer. He is accused of spearheading an information campaign aimed at influencing American voters. Experts consulted by the Post indicated that Dougan may have also been involved in creating a fake video that accused Tim Walz, Harris’s running mate, of sexual assault.

There are growing concerns that Dougan may soon shift his focus from targeting Harris to undermining the integrity of U.S. elections. McKenzie Sadeghi, a researcher at NewsGuard, commented that Dougan possesses a keen understanding of what would resonate with Western audiences, making his misinformation efforts particularly effective.

Additionally, Dougan is reported to have ties to GRU officer Yury Khoroshenky and is funded by an institute led by Alexandr Dugin, a Russian philosopher and political commentator known for advocating the establishment of a "Euro-Asian empire" aimed at countering the U.S.-led Western world order.

As the allegations unfold, the implications of such misinformation campaigns highlight ongoing concerns regarding foreign interference in U.S. electoral processes and the broader impact of disinformation on American democracy.

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