Special counsel Mueller indicts 13 Russians for election interference
The Internet Research Agency  based in St. Petersburg  was named in the indictment as the hub of an ambitious effort to trick Americans online into following and promoting Russian-fed propaganda that pushed 2016 voters toward then-Republican candidate Donald Trump and away from Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Prosecutors said the Russians  using fake identities  contacted  Trump  campaign staffers in Florida offering to hold rallies to support  Trump . Susie Wiles  who was co-chair of the  Trump  campaign in Florida in August 2016 and later became the campaignâs chief Florida staffer  said no campaign official was aware of the Russian effort.
âItâs not the way I do the business; itâs not the way the  Trump  campaign in Florida did business â she said. âIt is spooky. It is awful. It makes you look over your shoulder. It shouldnât happen. Iâm anxious for this to be uncovered so this never happens again.â
Some of the Russians posed as Americans and  without revealing their Russian identities  âcommunicated with unwitting individuals associated with the  Trump  campaign and with other political activists to seek to coordinate political activities â the indictment said.
By February 2016  the suspects had decided whom they were supporting in the race  according to the indictment  which quoted an instruction to Internet Research Agency specialists to âuse any opportunity to criticize Hillary and the rest (except Sanders and  Trump  â we support them.)â Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont was running for the Democratic nomination.
The Internet Research Agency  based in St. Petersburg  was named in the indictment as the hub of an ambitious effort to trick Americans online into following and promoting Russian-fed propaganda that pushed 2016 voters toward  [TGT]  and away from Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Prosecutors said the Russians  using fake identities  contacted   [TGT]   campaign staffers in Florida offering to hold rallies to support   [TGT]  . Susie Wiles  who was co-chair of the   [TGT] campaign in Florida in August 2016 and later became the campaignâs chief Florida staffer  said no campaign official was aware of the Russian effort.
âItâs not the way I do the business; itâs not the way  [TGT] campaign in Florida did business â she said. âIt is spooky. It is awful. It makes you look over your shoulder. It shouldnât happen. Iâm anxious for this to be uncovered so this never happens again.â
Some of the Russians posed as Americans and  without revealing their Russian identities  âcommunicated with unwitting individuals associated with the  Trump  campaign and with other political activists to seek to coordinate political activities â the indictment said.
By February 2016  the suspects had decided whom they were supporting in the race  according to the indictment  which quoted an instruction to Internet Research Agency specialists to âuse any opportunity to criticize Hillary and the rest (except Sanders and   [TGT] â we support them.)â Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont was running for the Democratic nomination.