Tag Archives: 2016 elections

Trump Staffers Promoted Russian Twitter Trolls

The Daily Beast reports: Some of the Trump campaign’s most prominent names and supporters, including Trump’s campaign manager, digital director, and son, pushed tweets from professional trolls paid by the Russian government in the heat of the 2016 election campaign. The Twitter account @Ten_GOP, which called itself the “Unofficial Twitter account of Tennessee Republicans,” was operated from the Kremlin-backed “Russian …

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Twitter Boots Popular Account Followed By Major Right Wing Figures Because (Shocker) It’s Run By Russians

I followed this account for months after seeing how many major right wingers were retweeting it. Eventually I was blocked but I never dreamed it was by Russians. Buzzfeed News reports: Twitter took 11 months to close a Russian troll account that claimed to speak for the Tennessee Republican Party even after that state’s real GOP notified the social media …

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Oligarch Kremlin Insider Bankrolled “Troll Factory”

CNN reports: Yevgeny Prigozhin is a Russian oligarch dubbed “chef” to President Vladimir Putin by the Russian press. In 2002, he served caviar and truffles to President George W. Bush during a summit in St. Petersburg. Before that, he renovated a boat that became the city’s most exclusive restaurant. But his business empire has expanded far beyond the kitchen. US …

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Russian Troll Factory Worker Reveals All Were Made To Watch House Of Cards To Learn About US Politics

Yahoo News reports: The Russians who worked for a notorious St. Petersburg “troll factory” that was part of Vladimir Putin’s campaign to influence the 2016 presidential election were required to watch the “House of Cards” television series to help them craft messages to “set up the Americans against their own government,” according to an interview broadcast Sunday (in Russian) with …

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Anti-Hillary YouTubers Were On Kremlin Payroll

The Daily Beast reports: According to the YouTube page for “Williams and Kalvin,” the Clintons are “serial killers who are going to rape the whole nation.” Donald Trump can’t be racist because he’s a “businessman.” Hillary Clinton’s campaign was “fund[ed] by the Muslim.” These are a sample of the videos put together by two black video bloggers calling themselves Williams …

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Facebook Tests “Context” Button To Fight Fake News

TechCrunch reports: Facebook thinks showing Wikipedia entries about publishers and additional Related Articles will give users more context about the links they see. So today it’s beginning a test of a new “i” button on News Feed links that opens up an informational panel. “People have told us that they want more information about what they’re reading” Facebook product manager …

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Facebook Publishes Full-Page Ads In Wake Of Russia Revelations: We Will Fight Against Election Interference

Fortune reports: Facebook took out full-page advertisements in Wednesday’s issues of the New York Times and Washington Post in an effort to defend itself as the company takes fire for its role in Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The company, which has acknowledged that about 10 million Americans saw Russian-linked ads on Facebook, outlined in its ad the …

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Russian Facebook Ads Targeted Key Swing States

CNN reports: A number of Russian-linked Facebook ads specifically targeted Michigan and Wisconsin, two states crucial to Donald Trump’s victory last November, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the situation. Some of the Russian ads appeared highly sophisticated in their targeting of key demographic groups in areas of the states that turned out to be pivotal, two of …

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TODAY: Twitter Speaks To Congress On Russia Probe

CNN reports: Officials from Twitter will trek to Capitol Hill on Thursday to talk to congressional Russia investigators about how Russian-linked accounts may have used the social media platform to try to sway the 2016 election. Twitter officials will meet behind closed doors with Senate intelligence committee staff to discuss Russian efforts to use Twitter during the 2016 election, as …

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Zuckerberg Hits Back At Trump’s Conspiracy Claim

From Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook page: I want to respond to President Trump’s tweet this morning claiming Facebook has always been against him. Every day I work to bring people together and build a community for everyone. We hope to give all people a voice and create a platform for all ideas. Trump says Facebook is against him. Liberals say we …

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Russian Facebook Ads Backed Stein, Sanders, Trump

Politico reports: Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was the beneficiary of at least one of the Russian-bought political ads on Facebook that federal government officials suspect were intended to influence the 2016 election. Other advertisements paid for by shadowy Russian buyers criticized Hillary Clinton and promoted Donald Trump. Some backed Bernie Sanders and his platform even after his presidential …

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Viral Fake News Writer Found Dead At Age 38

The Associated Press reports: A leading purveyor of fake news in the 2016 presidential election has died outside Phoenix at the age of 38. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Mark Casey said Tuesday authorities discovered Paul Horner dead in his bed on Sept. 18. Casey said the Maricopa County medical examiner performed an autopsy which showed there were no signs …

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Facebook To Hand Over Russian Ads: We Don’t Want Anyone Using Us To Undermine Democracy [VIDEO]

The New York Times reports: Under growing public pressure to reveal more about the spread of covert Russian propaganda on its site, Facebook said on Thursday that it was turning over more than 3,000 Russia-linked ads to Congressional committees investigating the Kremlin’s influence operation during the 2016 presidential election. “I care deeply about the democratic process and protecting its integrity,” …

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REPORT: Russian Propagandists Used Facebook To Organize Trump Rallies In 17 Florida Cities During 2016

The Daily Beast reports: Suspected Russia propagandists on Facebook tried to organize more than a dozen pro-Trump rallies in Florida during last year’s election, The Daily Beast has learned. The demonstrations—at least one of which was promoted online by local pro-Trump activists— brought dozens of supporters together in real life. They appear to be the first case of Russian provocateurs …

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Colbert Gives Hillary Unused Victory Jokes [VIDEO]

The Hill reports: Comedian Stephen Colbert presented former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton with a packet of unused jokes from election night on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” “One of the things I regret the least about that night, but I do regret, is that we had a whole packet of unused Clinton victory jokes. This was a whole …

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Jon Huntsman: No Question Russia Meddled In Election

The Hill reports: Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R), President Trump’s choice to serve as U.S. ambassador to Russia, said Tuesday that there is “no question” that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Huntsman made the declaration during his opening statement when testifying before Congress at his confirmation hearing. “There is no question that the Russian government interfered …

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Hillary Won’t Rule Out Challenging Election Result

Talking Points Memo reports: Hillary Clinton said in an interview that aired Monday that she wouldn’t rule out challenging the legitimacy of the 2016 election based on the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the election. “Democrats have said that they think there was Russian interference in the election, but that they’re not challenging the results of the election,” “Fresh …

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Hillary Slams Facebook For Election Fake News [VIDEO]

During her appearance on last night’s Rachel Maddow Show, Hillary Clinton took aim at Facebook’s role in spreading fake news during the 2016 election. The Hill reports: “We may have our disagreements among Americans, we’re not going to let the Russians come in and divide us. And so we’re going to make Facebook own up to everything. They’ve just begun …

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Hillary: “I Am Done With Being A Candidate” [VIDEO]

The Washington Post reports: Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said Sunday that she will not pursue the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. “I am done with being a candidate,” Clinton said on CBS’s “Sunday Morning.” Clinton — who on Tuesday will release “What Happened,” her memoir of the 2016 campaign — does plan to stay involved in national politics, just …

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Facebook Sold US Election Ads To Russian Troll Farm

The Washington Post reports: Representatives of Facebook told congressional investigators Wednesday that it has discovered it sold ads during the U.S. presidential election to a shadowy Russian company seeking to target voters, according to several people familiar with the company’s findings. Facebook officials reported that they traced the ad sales, totaling $100,000, to a Russian “troll farm” with a history …

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