Mueller Indicts 13 Russian Nationals For Election Meddling

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Did Democrats lose?





Then hell yes ..




.

***chuckles*** You shouldn't be so quick to make a fool out of yourself.

they can't help themselves ,,it's in their genes

Genes of loving america the way it used to be before liberals took over and tried to destroy it?

Ya know..I'd sure like to know just when...specifically...the US was better than right now. What aspect of our culture was better in the past?

Because I don't think there is...unless you are mourning the passing of the great White Male--which is absurd...since there are plenty of white males in the pipeline--they just don't buy your brand of shyte anymore.

No mass shootings

Two family house holds for starters..









You want more examples clown?

I want a year, chimp. BTW...things change..paradigms shift. I'm pushing 70---and things were shitty in the 50's too....60's were no picnic either. Some of what went down in those 2 parent households..were pretty horror show...divorce was and is a blessing to some.

Mass shootings..well----they are a logical outgrowth of our culture of violence--and once something steps into reality....it becomes an option. How many of us dreamed at least once of stepping into school and mowing someone down? We didn't do it--because it was not even an option to us. Now---it's a viable option. Inevitable.

 

[Doc1]

Ummm, actually from most accounts I have read, they had a vested interest in Bernie.

ANY OPPORTUNITY
The Internet Research Agency, a Russian organization, and the defendants began working in 2014 to interfere in U.S. elections, according to the indictment. They used false personas and social media while also staging political rallies and communicating with “unwitting individuals” associated with the Trump campaign, it said.

In a Feb. 10, 2016, planning memo, the Russians were instructed to “use any opportunity to criticize Hillary and the rest (except Sanders and Trump -- we support them).”

The operations also denigrated candidates including Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, Trump’s rivals in the 2016 Republican primary, the indictment said.

The efforts included contact with “unwitting” Trump campaign officials, with the goal of “impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful government functions” including the election.

Mueller’s Case of Russian Meddling in U.S. Election: Highlights

the big unanswered question remains: why would Russia prefer Trump who they could not control over Hillary who they had tons of material that could be used to blackmail her into doing exactly what they wanted.

Mueller knows that he has wasted millions of dollars on a failed witch hunt and now is trying to regain some credibility with this evil Russians indictment.

the big unanswered question remains: why would Russia prefer Trump who they could not control over Hillary who they had tons of material that could be used to blackmail her into doing exactly what they wanted.

There is no question that Russia already controls Trump.

Trump defers to Russia in every circumstance. He can't even admit that they did anything during the election which leads to inaction across the board. Publicly defending Russia against allegations of meddling, easing up on Ukraine, no further sanctions despite a unanimous vote from Congress and most importantly, no action to either prepare our systems against future meddling or any substantive retaliation. He's
avoided and dismissed this issue from day one.

Bought and paid for.

Well....sure, well except for the whole lack of evidence thing.

I just laid out some of the more obvious circumstantial evidence. It's up to the investigators to fill in the details. The recent indictments show quite clearly that we know by name the Russian players and that they did work with Americans. Those details are being uncovered and understood.

"circumstantial evidence"

You see what you want to see, I am content to watch everything play out.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Sort of like how hillary wasn’t criminal just negligent in using private emails.

Are you ok with russia meddling?

Did Democrats lose?





Then hell yes ..




.

***chuckles*** You shouldn't be so quick to make a fool out of yourself.

You really can't figure this out , I despise liberal guys.....

Ya see---you just don't get it. I'm not a liberal..life long Republican..until 2 years ago. But cheering the success of a foreign power--as long as your faction wins--is an unsupportable act..to me. Now, I don't think that the Russians really had anything to do with Clinton losing...but they are actively stoking the fires of our culture wars. People like you are tools--unless you decide to put common sense ahead of partisan BS.

you just don't get it. I'm not a liberal..life long Republican..until 2 years ago



BTW that tells me your a liberal troll on here from the democrap underground.






.

Hehehehe---uhh..OK---in that case..someone owes me some money! But thank you..for giving me a significance I never thought i had..EEF---superspy!

 

[Wyatt earp]

***chuckles*** You shouldn't be so quick to make a fool out of yourself.

they can't help themselves ,,it's in their genes

Genes of loving america the way it used to be before liberals took over and tried to destroy it?

Ya know..I'd sure like to know just when...specifically...the US was better than right now. What aspect of our culture was better in the past?

Because I don't think there is...unless you are mourning the passing of the great White Male--which is absurd...since there are plenty of white males in the pipeline--they just don't buy your brand of shyte anymore.

No mass shootings

Two family house holds for starters..









You want more examples clown?

I want a year, chimp. BTW...things change..paradigms shift. I'm pushing 70---and things were shitty in the 50's to....60's were no picnic either. Some of what went down in those 2 parent households..were pretty horror show...divorce was and is a blessing to some.

Mass shootings..well----they are a logical outgrowth of our culture of violence--and once something steps into reality....it becomes an option. How many of us dreamed at least once of stepping into school and mowing someone down? We didn't do it--because it was not even an option to us. Now---it's a viable option. Inevitable.

Get the fuck out of here, you claim to be a life long republican , changed two years ago and signed up for USMB a few months ago..




You sir are a liar..

 

[Wyatt earp]

Did Democrats lose?





Then hell yes ..




.

***chuckles*** You shouldn't be so quick to make a fool out of yourself.

You really can't figure this out , I despise liberal guys.....

Ya see---you just don't get it. I'm not a liberal..life long Republican..until 2 years ago. But cheering the success of a foreign power--as long as your faction wins--is an unsupportable act..to me. Now, I don't think that the Russians really had anything to do with Clinton losing...but they are actively stoking the fires of our culture wars. People like you are tools--unless you decide to put common sense ahead of partisan BS.

you just don't get it. I'm not a liberal..life long Republican..until 2 years ago



BTW that tells me your a liberal troll on here from the democrap underground.






.

Hehehehe---uhh..OK---in that case..someone owes me some money! But thank you..for giving me a significance I never thought i had..EEF---superspy!

^^^


Only a 70 year old hippie would post that.






.

 

[eddiew37]

they can't help themselves ,,it's in their genes

Genes of loving america the way it used to be before liberals took over and tried to destroy it?

Ya know..I'd sure like to know just when...specifically...the US was better than right now. What aspect of our culture was better in the past?

Because I don't think there is...unless you are mourning the passing of the great White Male--which is absurd...since there are plenty of white males in the pipeline--they just don't buy your brand of shyte anymore.

No mass shootings

Two family house holds for starters..









You want more examples clown?

I want a year, chimp. BTW...things change..paradigms shift. I'm pushing 70---and things were shitty in the 50's to....60's were no picnic either. Some of what went down in those 2 parent households..were pretty horror show...divorce was and is a blessing to some.

Mass shootings..well----they are a logical outgrowth of our culture of violence--and once something steps into reality....it becomes an option. How many of us dreamed at least once of stepping into school and mowing someone down? We didn't do it--because it was not even an option to us. Now---it's a viable option. Inevitable.

Get the fuck out of here, you claim to be a life long republican , changed two years ago and signed up for USMB a few months ago..




You sir are a liar..

And I was a republican too even voted for GWB in 2000 my last repub vote

 

[Wyatt earp]

Genes of loving america the way it used to be before liberals took over and tried to destroy it?

Ya know..I'd sure like to know just when...specifically...the US was better than right now. What aspect of our culture was better in the past?

Because I don't think there is...unless you are mourning the passing of the great White Male--which is absurd...since there are plenty of white males in the pipeline--they just don't buy your brand of shyte anymore.

No mass shootings

Two family house holds for starters..









You want more examples clown?

I want a year, chimp. BTW...things change..paradigms shift. I'm pushing 70---and things were shitty in the 50's to....60's were no picnic either. Some of what went down in those 2 parent households..were pretty horror show...divorce was and is a blessing to some.

Mass shootings..well----they are a logical outgrowth of our culture of violence--and once something steps into reality....it becomes an option. How many of us dreamed at least once of stepping into school and mowing someone down? We didn't do it--because it was not even an option to us. Now---it's a viable option. Inevitable.

Get the fuck out of here, you claim to be a life long republican , changed two years ago and signed up for USMB a few months ago..




You sir are a liar..

And I was a republican too even voted for GWB in 2000 my last repub vote

Well we got two things in common the last time I voted was in 2000...then I fled illionis in September 2004 and never voted again..

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

they can't help themselves ,,it's in their genes

Genes of loving america the way it used to be before liberals took over and tried to destroy it?

Ya know..I'd sure like to know just when...specifically...the US was better than right now. What aspect of our culture was better in the past?

Because I don't think there is...unless you are mourning the passing of the great White Male--which is absurd...since there are plenty of white males in the pipeline--they just don't buy your brand of shyte anymore.

No mass shootings

Two family house holds for starters..









You want more examples clown?

I want a year, chimp. BTW...things change..paradigms shift. I'm pushing 70---and things were shitty in the 50's to....60's were no picnic either. Some of what went down in those 2 parent households..were pretty horror show...divorce was and is a blessing to some.

Mass shootings..well----they are a logical outgrowth of our culture of violence--and once something steps into reality....it becomes an option. How many of us dreamed at least once of stepping into school and mowing someone down? We didn't do it--because it was not even an option to us. Now---it's a viable option. Inevitable.

Get the fuck out of here, you claim to be a life long republican , changed two years ago and signed up for USMB a few months ago..




You sir are a liar..

You sir..are a fool..you just can't accept that I told you the unvarnished truth..you are crippled in your world view to such an extent that you cannot even tell the truth when you see it. How sad that must be...to not be able to conceive that someone might actually be nuanced in their opinions...and look at things without a political bias.

I signed up here..for just this sort of conversation....it amuses me greatly to see some of you guys..so lost in your pathetic clinging to some great battle between the forces of right..and the evil Left.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

***chuckles*** You shouldn't be so quick to make a fool out of yourself.

You really can't figure this out , I despise liberal guys.....

Ya see---you just don't get it. I'm not a liberal..life long Republican..until 2 years ago. But cheering the success of a foreign power--as long as your faction wins--is an unsupportable act..to me. Now, I don't think that the Russians really had anything to do with Clinton losing...but they are actively stoking the fires of our culture wars. People like you are tools--unless you decide to put common sense ahead of partisan BS.

you just don't get it. I'm not a liberal..life long Republican..until 2 years ago



BTW that tells me your a liberal troll on here from the democrap underground.






.

Hehehehe---uhh..OK---in that case..someone owes me some money! But thank you..for giving me a significance I never thought i had..EEF---superspy!

^^^


Only a 70 year old hippie would post that.






.

You think that ex-hippies can't be Republican? Oh my....thanks....I needed the laugh.

 

[Wyatt earp]

Genes of loving america the way it used to be before liberals took over and tried to destroy it?

Ya know..I'd sure like to know just when...specifically...the US was better than right now. What aspect of our culture was better in the past?

Because I don't think there is...unless you are mourning the passing of the great White Male--which is absurd...since there are plenty of white males in the pipeline--they just don't buy your brand of shyte anymore.

No mass shootings

Two family house holds for starters..









You want more examples clown?

I want a year, chimp. BTW...things change..paradigms shift. I'm pushing 70---and things were shitty in the 50's to....60's were no picnic either. Some of what went down in those 2 parent households..were pretty horror show...divorce was and is a blessing to some.

Mass shootings..well----they are a logical outgrowth of our culture of violence--and once something steps into reality....it becomes an option. How many of us dreamed at least once of stepping into school and mowing someone down? We didn't do it--because it was not even an option to us. Now---it's a viable option. Inevitable.

Get the fuck out of here, you claim to be a life long republican , changed two years ago and signed up for USMB a few months ago..




You sir are a liar..

You sir..are a fool..you just can't accept that I told you the unvarnished truth..you are crippled in your world view to such an extent that you cannot even tell the truth when you see it. How sad that must be...to not be able to conceive that someone might actually be nuanced in their opinions...and look at things without a political bias.

Who are you trying to fool me or you?



I have been on the damn internet since 1993... I am a damn vetern of reading through lies and bullshit.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Ya know..I'd sure like to know just when...specifically...the US was better than right now. What aspect of our culture was better in the past?

Because I don't think there is...unless you are mourning the passing of the great White Male--which is absurd...since there are plenty of white males in the pipeline--they just don't buy your brand of shyte anymore.

No mass shootings

Two family house holds for starters..









You want more examples clown?

I want a year, chimp. BTW...things change..paradigms shift. I'm pushing 70---and things were shitty in the 50's to....60's were no picnic either. Some of what went down in those 2 parent households..were pretty horror show...divorce was and is a blessing to some.

Mass shootings..well----they are a logical outgrowth of our culture of violence--and once something steps into reality....it becomes an option. How many of us dreamed at least once of stepping into school and mowing someone down? We didn't do it--because it was not even an option to us. Now---it's a viable option. Inevitable.

Get the fuck out of here, you claim to be a life long republican , changed two years ago and signed up for USMB a few months ago..




You sir are a liar..

You sir..are a fool..you just can't accept that I told you the unvarnished truth..you are crippled in your world view to such an extent that you cannot even tell the truth when you see it. How sad that must be...to not be able to conceive that someone might actually be nuanced in their opinions...and look at things without a political bias.

Who are you trying to fool me or you?



I have been on the damn internet since 1993... I am a damn vetern of reading through lies and bullshit.

Damn..that makes it even worse, eh?

I would also point out...that you very effectively deflected away from answering any of the points I made in the previous posts....why is that? What is wrong with honest conversation, shorn of partisan idiocy?

Defeat the ideas...if you can..if you have the ability. Attacking the poster..without rebutting his points...concedes victory to ...well...to me. ***smiles***

 

[DrLove]

Who are you trying to fool me or you?

I have been on the damn internet since 1993... I am a damn vetern of reading through lies and bullshit.

No one who at this point supports Donald J Trump has the license to claim to be a veteran of distinguishing fact from fiction.

You've failed in that regard - Bigly

 

[Wyatt earp]

Who are you trying to fool me or you?

I have been on the damn internet since 1993... I am a damn vetern of reading through lies and bullshit.

No one who at this point supports Donald J Trump has the license to claim to be a veteran of distinguishing fact from fiction.

You've failed in that regard - Bigly

Oh I support Trump and Putin with a fact, anything to make you cry tears , I enjoy.....and am amused.

 

[Wyatt earp]

No mass shootings

Two family house holds for starters..









You want more examples clown?

I want a year, chimp. BTW...things change..paradigms shift. I'm pushing 70---and things were shitty in the 50's to....60's were no picnic either. Some of what went down in those 2 parent households..were pretty horror show...divorce was and is a blessing to some.

Mass shootings..well----they are a logical outgrowth of our culture of violence--and once something steps into reality....it becomes an option. How many of us dreamed at least once of stepping into school and mowing someone down? We didn't do it--because it was not even an option to us. Now---it's a viable option. Inevitable.

Get the fuck out of here, you claim to be a life long republican , changed two years ago and signed up for USMB a few months ago..




You sir are a liar..

You sir..are a fool..you just can't accept that I told you the unvarnished truth..you are crippled in your world view to such an extent that you cannot even tell the truth when you see it. How sad that must be...to not be able to conceive that someone might actually be nuanced in their opinions...and look at things without a political bias.

Who are you trying to fool me or you?



I have been on the damn internet since 1993... I am a damn vetern of reading through lies and bullshit.

Damn..that makes it even worse, eh?

I would also point out...that you very effectively deflected away from answering any of the points I made in the previous posts....why is that? What is wrong with honest conversation, shorn of partisan idiocy?

Defeat the ideas...if you can..if you have the ability. Attacking the poster..without rebutting his points...concedes victory to ...well...to me. ***smiles***

So you want me to make a list that's obvious to anyone why liberals suck?


Just read the news clown on how asshole's disrespect the flag, the Constitution , the national anthem, police, the military, the flag..


Liberalism is a plague that must be destroyed.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

I want a year, chimp. BTW...things change..paradigms shift. I'm pushing 70---and things were shitty in the 50's to....60's were no picnic either. Some of what went down in those 2 parent households..were pretty horror show...divorce was and is a blessing to some.

Mass shootings..well----they are a logical outgrowth of our culture of violence--and once something steps into reality....it becomes an option. How many of us dreamed at least once of stepping into school and mowing someone down? We didn't do it--because it was not even an option to us. Now---it's a viable option. Inevitable.

Get the fuck out of here, you claim to be a life long republican , changed two years ago and signed up for USMB a few months ago..




You sir are a liar..

You sir..are a fool..you just can't accept that I told you the unvarnished truth..you are crippled in your world view to such an extent that you cannot even tell the truth when you see it. How sad that must be...to not be able to conceive that someone might actually be nuanced in their opinions...and look at things without a political bias.

Who are you trying to fool me or you?



I have been on the damn internet since 1993... I am a damn vetern of reading through lies and bullshit.

Damn..that makes it even worse, eh?

I would also point out...that you very effectively deflected away from answering any of the points I made in the previous posts....why is that? What is wrong with honest conversation, shorn of partisan idiocy?

Defeat the ideas...if you can..if you have the ability. Attacking the poster..without rebutting his points...concedes victory to ...well...to me. ***smiles***

So you want me to make a list that's obvious to anyone why liberals suck?


Just read the news clown on how asshole's disrespect the flag, the Constitution , the national anthem, police, the military, the flag..


Liberalism is a plague that must be destroyed.

Hmmm..you seem to be really preoccupied with symbols--oddly..so are the Liberals you despise. I think the extremes of both Left and Right are what is wrong with our country. We need some moderation. I'm a combat vet..I don't feel disrespected..quite the opposite...I get a whole lot more respect than I got 30 years ago.

I just think that we are stronger together...and the ideologues on both sides are out of control.

And Russia has been and still is, exploiting this..How can you countenance it?

 

[Wyatt earp]

Get the fuck out of here, you claim to be a life long republican , changed two years ago and signed up for USMB a few months ago..




You sir are a liar..

You sir..are a fool..you just can't accept that I told you the unvarnished truth..you are crippled in your world view to such an extent that you cannot even tell the truth when you see it. How sad that must be...to not be able to conceive that someone might actually be nuanced in their opinions...and look at things without a political bias.

Who are you trying to fool me or you?



I have been on the damn internet since 1993... I am a damn vetern of reading through lies and bullshit.

Damn..that makes it even worse, eh?

I would also point out...that you very effectively deflected away from answering any of the points I made in the previous posts....why is that? What is wrong with honest conversation, shorn of partisan idiocy?

Defeat the ideas...if you can..if you have the ability. Attacking the poster..without rebutting his points...concedes victory to ...well...to me. ***smiles***

So you want me to make a list that's obvious to anyone why liberals suck?


Just read the news clown on how asshole's disrespect the flag, the Constitution , the national anthem, police, the military, the flag..


Liberalism is a plague that must be destroyed.

Hmmm..you seem to be really preoccupied with symbols--oddly..so are the Liberals you despise. I think the extremes of both Left and Right are what is wrong with our country. We need some moderation. I'm a combat vet..I don't feel disrespected..quite the opposite...I get a whole lot more respect than I got 30 years ago.

I just think that we are stronger together...and the ideologues on both sides are out of control.

And Russia has been and still is, exploiting this..How can you countenance it?

Screw that any guy over the age of 30 that is a liberal... a clown... women that are over 30 and is a liberal I can tolerate...

 

[abu afak]

Oh, this is going to be interesting.

Fake news is reporting Rosenstein is going to announce these charges today.

I can't wait to see what these charges are. So now buying adds disparaging Hillaryous is now a crime. Free speech unless you're Russian.

Rosenstein stated no person contacted by Russians knew they were being contacted by Russians who were trying to influence the election.

Go pound sand, libtardos, if they had any thing on Trump they'd have announced it.

Willfully Stupid and Treasonous Trumpkins willing to sell out his country for his idiotic party/leader.

Russian Influence Operation Allegedly Ran Like a Propaganda Startup
Federal indictment describes Internet Research Agency as having deep understanding how to use Silicon Valley technology to sow discord
By Robert McMillan,
Deepa Seetharaman and
Georgia Wells
Wall Street Journal - Feb. 17, 2018
Russian Influence Operation Allegedly Ran Like a Propaganda Startup

The alleged Russian campaign to manipulate the U.S. presidential election was orchestrated by what amounted to a propaganda startup, with finance and graphics departments, performance targets and a sophisticated social-media strategy designed to gain maximum attention, according to U.S. authorities.

The federal indictment issued Friday against the Internet Research Agency describes in rich detail an institution with a deep understanding of Silicon Valley technology that allegedly manipulated tools designed to foster open discussion and turned them into weapons for causing discord.

The IRA’s opinion-influencing unit, set up in 2014 to exploit social media, had at least 80 staff by 2016, and a stated goal to spread “distrust towards the candidates and the political system in general,” the indictment says. Employees of that division crafted viral Facebook posts and widely-followed, fraudulent Twitter accounts, according to the indictment. The indictment, secured by special counsel Robert Mueller, also named two related companies and 13 Russian nationals allegedly involved in the scheme.

The Wall Street Journal and other news organizations have detailed ways the Russian efforts allegedly played out in the U.S., with hundreds of thousands of Americans following fake Facebook pages and some even participating in bogus events that the provocateurs organized.

Friday’s indictment provides the clearest portrait yet of how that disruption was allegedly coordinated. Based in St. Petersburg, Russia, IRA employees used free email accounts and online cryptocurrency exchanges, and concealed their Russian origin using virtual private networks and U.S. computer servers, the U.S. indictment says. They used stolen identities to open PayPal accounts, from which they also paid for Facebook and Instagram ads to promote their online groups, according to the indictment.

U.S. authorities say the IRA leveraged these tools to organize flash-mobs in Florida, run ads for “Miners for Trump” in Pennsylvania and to pay a U.S. resident to dress up like Hillary Clinton in a prison uniform at a West Palm Beach rally.

Operational goals were subject to internal audits. In September 2016, an employee was chastised for not criticizing Hillary Clinton enough in a Facebook group called Secured Borders and was instructed to step up the criticism in future posts, according to the indictment.

The charges show how social media, anonymity and messaging technologies that minted citizen journalists during the Arab Spring came to be turned on their head by Russian operatives to sow disinformation during the 2016 election, said John Scott Railton, a researcher with the University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Studies.

“Back in the day if you wanted to run a coup d’état, one of the first things you needed to do was to capture the TV station, capture the radio,” he said. But in the era of Facebook and Twitter, that is no longer the case, he said.

Moscow has repeatedly denied any government effort to influence the U.S. election, and the Russian Embassy in Washington didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The IRA had a monthly budget of more than $1.25 million to conduct influence operations in various countries, the indictment says. In 2014, it created a special team called the Translator Project that fostered campaigns on social media including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and also Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube, according to the indictment.

Working in split shifts designed to make it seem like they were in U.S. time zones, project staffers allegedly posted topics on these networks that would resonate with extreme viewpoints held by Americans. They spent thousands of dollars a month promoting their messages, and used engagement metrics—quantifying the size of the audience reached and the number of likes and comments—to refine them, while developing fictitious U.S. personas into “leaders of public opinion,” according to the indictment.

By the time of the election, many of the Translator Project’s groups had snagged hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting followers, the indictment says.

IRA employees also stole the identities of legitimate organizations and real Americans to add credibility to their cause, according to the indictment. Ahead of the presidential election, they allegedly created the Twitter account @TEN_GOP, which claimed to be the Twitter account for the Tennessee Republican party.
The false account amassed more than 100,000 online followers, more than seven times the 14,000 followers the official Twitter account of the Tennessee Republican Party has attracted, according to calculations by the Journal.

In a statement posted to its website Friday, the Tennessee Republican Party said that it had filed “multiple” reports to Twitter complaining about the @TEN_GOP account. “Each report was either dismissed by Twitter or never responded to,” the party said.

Twitter didn’t comment on the @TEN_GOP account, but said the alleged Russian efforts to disrupt the election “go against everything we at Twitter believe.” As part of its preparation for the U.S. midterm elections, Twitter said it is monitoring trends and spikes in conversations for possible manipulation activity. YouTube didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Facebook reiterated its plans to expand its safety and security team to 20,000 people by the end of 2018. “We know we have more to do to prevent future attacks,” the company said.

Facebook and Twitter said they were working with a Federal Bureau of Investigation task force on election tampering.

The indictment describes in detail how the IRA allegedly organized real-world events throughout the U.S. through Facebook advertisements and direct contact with activists who supported certain causes, tactics previously reported by the Journal and other media outlets.

The IRA page “Born Patriotic” purchased Facebook ads to promote several pro-Trump rallies in Florida in August 2016 that reached 59,000 Facebook users in Florida, according to the indictment. More than 8,300 Facebook users clicked on the ads, which routed users to Being Patriotic’s page on Facebook, the indictment says.

The IRA pages covered some event costs, like travel and equipment rental, transmitting funds to activists through wire transfers and other means, the indictment says.

The alleged Russian influence campaign seemingly flew under the radar of the technology companies. Facebook, Twitter and Google didn’t launch investigations into the Russian influence campaign until after the presidency was decided.

Starting last September, Facebook and other companies publicly reported that they had identified Russian expenditures on their platforms. The indictment says that media reports that Facebook was working with Mr. Mueller’s team spooked the IRA operatives, prompting them to start destroying evidence.

“We had a slight crisis here at work: the FBI busted our activity (not a joke). So, I got preoccupied with covering tracks together with the colleagues,” a co-conspirator emailed a relative at the time, according to the indictment. “I created all these pictures and posts, and the Americans believed that it was written by their people.”​

 

[Wyatt earp]

The only damn liberal guys I see over the age of 30 is Rich ones who feel so damn guilty




They can spread their bullshit and don't care because they have a nest egg full of money to sit back on and think they did the right thing trying to tell others how to live.

 

[Valerie]

you don't even understand the meaning of the word liberal.

you just keep parroting your tough-guy false narrative like a champ.

 

[Wyatt earp]

Oh, this is going to be interesting.

Fake news is reporting Rosenstein is going to announce these charges today.

I can't wait to see what these charges are. So now buying adds disparaging Hillaryous is now a crime. Free speech unless you're Russian.

Rosenstein stated no person contacted by Russians knew they were being contacted by Russians who were trying to influence the election.

Go pound sand, libtardos, if they had any thing on Trump they'd have announced it.

Willfully Stupid and Treasonous Trumpkins willing to sell out his country for his idiotic party/leader.

Russian Influence Operation Allegedly Ran Like a Propaganda Startup
Federal indictment describes Internet Research Agency as having deep understanding how to use Silicon Valley technology to sow discord
By Robert McMillan,
Deepa Seetharaman and
Georgia Wells
Wall Street Journal - Feb. 17, 2018
Russian Influence Operation Allegedly Ran Like a Propaganda Startup

The alleged Russian campaign to manipulate the U.S. presidential election was orchestrated by what amounted to a propaganda startup, with finance and graphics departments, performance targets and a sophisticated social-media strategy designed to gain maximum attention, according to U.S. authorities.

The federal indictment issued Friday against the Internet Research Agency describes in rich detail an institution with a deep understanding of Silicon Valley technology that allegedly manipulated tools designed to foster open discussion and turned them into weapons for causing discord.

The IRA’s opinion-influencing unit, set up in 2014 to exploit social media, had at least 80 staff by 2016, and a stated goal to spread “distrust towards the candidates and the political system in general,” the indictment says. Employees of that division crafted viral Facebook posts and widely-followed, fraudulent Twitter accounts, according to the indictment. The indictment, secured by special counsel Robert Mueller, also named two related companies and 13 Russian nationals allegedly involved in the scheme.

The Wall Street Journal and other news organizations have detailed ways the Russian efforts allegedly played out in the U.S., with hundreds of thousands of Americans following fake Facebook pages and some even participating in bogus events that the provocateurs organized.

Friday’s indictment provides the clearest portrait yet of how that disruption was allegedly coordinated. Based in St. Petersburg, Russia, IRA employees used free email accounts and online cryptocurrency exchanges, and concealed their Russian origin using virtual private networks and U.S. computer servers, the U.S. indictment says. They used stolen identities to open PayPal accounts, from which they also paid for Facebook and Instagram ads to promote their online groups, according to the indictment.

U.S. authorities say the IRA leveraged these tools to organize flash-mobs in Florida, run ads for “Miners for Trump” in Pennsylvania and to pay a U.S. resident to dress up like Hillary Clinton in a prison uniform at a West Palm Beach rally.

Operational goals were subject to internal audits. In September 2016, an employee was chastised for not criticizing Hillary Clinton enough in a Facebook group called Secured Borders and was instructed to step up the criticism in future posts, according to the indictment.

The charges show how social media, anonymity and messaging technologies that minted citizen journalists during the Arab Spring came to be turned on their head by Russian operatives to sow disinformation during the 2016 election, said John Scott Railton, a researcher with the University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Studies.

“Back in the day if you wanted to run a coup d’état, one of the first things you needed to do was to capture the TV station, capture the radio,” he said. But in the era of Facebook and Twitter, that is no longer the case, he said.

Moscow has repeatedly denied any government effort to influence the U.S. election, and the Russian Embassy in Washington didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The IRA had a monthly budget of more than $1.25 million to conduct influence operations in various countries, the indictment says. In 2014, it created a special team called the Translator Project that fostered campaigns on social media including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and also Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube, according to the indictment.

Working in split shifts designed to make it seem like they were in U.S. time zones, project staffers allegedly posted topics on these networks that would resonate with extreme viewpoints held by Americans. They spent thousands of dollars a month promoting their messages, and used engagement metrics—quantifying the size of the audience reached and the number of likes and comments—to refine them, while developing fictitious U.S. personas into “leaders of public opinion,” according to the indictment.

By the time of the election, many of the Translator Project’s groups had snagged hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting followers, the indictment says.

IRA employees also stole the identities of legitimate organizations and real Americans to add credibility to their cause, according to the indictment. Ahead of the presidential election, they allegedly created the Twitter account @TEN_GOP, which claimed to be the Twitter account for the Tennessee Republican party.
The false account amassed more than 100,000 online followers, more than seven times the 14,000 followers the official Twitter account of the Tennessee Republican Party has attracted, according to calculations by the Journal.

In a statement posted to its website Friday, the Tennessee Republican Party said that it had filed “multiple” reports to Twitter complaining about the @TEN_GOP account. “Each report was either dismissed by Twitter or never responded to,” the party said.

Twitter didn’t comment on the @TEN_GOP account, but said the alleged Russian efforts to disrupt the election “go against everything we at Twitter believe.” As part of its preparation for the U.S. midterm elections, Twitter said it is monitoring trends and spikes in conversations for possible manipulation activity. YouTube didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Facebook reiterated its plans to expand its safety and security team to 20,000 people by the end of 2018. “We know we have more to do to prevent future attacks,” the company said.

Facebook and Twitter said they were working with a Federal Bureau of Investigation task force on election tampering.

The indictment describes in detail how the IRA allegedly organized real-world events throughout the U.S. through Facebook advertisements and direct contact with activists who supported certain causes, tactics previously reported by the Journal and other media outlets.

The IRA page “Born Patriotic” purchased Facebook ads to promote several pro-Trump rallies in Florida in August 2016 that reached 59,000 Facebook users in Florida, according to the indictment. More than 8,300 Facebook users clicked on the ads, which routed users to Being Patriotic’s page on Facebook, the indictment says.

The IRA pages covered some event costs, like travel and equipment rental, transmitting funds to activists through wire transfers and other means, the indictment says.

The alleged Russian influence campaign seemingly flew under the radar of the technology companies. Facebook, Twitter and Google didn’t launch investigations into the Russian influence campaign until after the presidency was decided.

Starting last September, Facebook and other companies publicly reported that they had identified Russian expenditures on their platforms. The indictment says that media reports that Facebook was working with Mr. Mueller’s team spooked the IRA operatives, prompting them to start destroying evidence.

“We had a slight crisis here at work: the FBI busted our activity (not a joke). So, I got preoccupied with covering tracks together with the colleagues,” a co-conspirator emailed a relative at the time, according to the indictment. “I created all these pictures and posts, and the Americans believed that it was written by their people.”​

and a sophisticated social-media strategy designed to gain maximum attention, accordingto U.S. authorities.


Translation~ they had socks on the internet is your real name abu afak?

Is it troll?