Russian Woman Charged With Interfering In Midterms, Created Thousands Of Fake Social Media Accounts

CNBC reports:

A Russian woman has been charged with trying to interfere in the 2018 midterm elections, authorities said. Elena Khusyaynova of St. Petersburg, Russia, is accused of using using social media platforms to create thousands of social media and e-mail accounts that purported to be from Americans, to “amplify divisive social media and political content.”

Prosecutors claim Khusyaynova is the chief accountant for a Russian entity dubbed Project Lakhta. That group is backed by a Russian oligarch who companies were named in a criminal indictment brought by special counsel Robert Mueller that alleged attempted interference in the 2016 presidential election.

US files criminal charges against Russian citizen, Elena Khusyaynova, for conspiracy to interfere in US elections; her effort was (allegedly) funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin a.k.a. Putin’s chef pic.twitter.com/pismcE95Wg

— Mike Eckel (@Mike_Eckel) October 19, 2018

BREAKING / NBC NEWS: A Russian woman, Elena Alekaseevna Khusyaynova, has been indicted for trying to meddle in the 2018 Midterm elections, according to court papers.

She allegedly works for Yevgeny Prigozhin, also known as “Putin’s chef.”

— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) October 19, 2018