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LAS14

(14,253 posts)
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 01:41 PM Sep 7

Can someone tell me exactly what law is being broken by the Russian financed influencers?

It can't be "taking money from a foreign country." Is it "taking money from a foreign government?" Does it have anything to do with content? If so, how is that defined.

TIA
LAS

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Can someone tell me exactly what law is being broken by the Russian financed influencers? (Original Post) LAS14 Sep 7 OP
unreported foreign agent. Voltaire2 Sep 7 #1
Thanks. nt LAS14 Sep 7 #5
The indictment is specific struggle4progress Sep 7 #2
I never understand it when people on DU say you shouldn't... LAS14 Sep 7 #3
I hate that here Mad_Machine76 Sep 7 #22
Not to mention how useless Google has become kcr Sep 7 #47
I hate when people here seem to be fishing for information. live love laugh Sep 7 #51
??? Is this ironic? Is "fishing for information" the same as asking a question? nt LAS14 Sep 7 #53
This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Sep 7 #56
I bet he/she doesn't need to Dave says Sep 7 #4
On further reflection, it's because I prefer... LAS14 Sep 7 #9
yes, and someone else may be wondering the same question, thank you for asking, because I wasn't really clear on it Meadowoak Sep 7 #35
:-) nt LAS14 Sep 7 #39
Google isn't foolproof. Dear_Prudence Sep 7 #15
Two RT Employees Indicted for Covertly Funding and Directing U.S. Company that Published Thousands of Videos struggle4progress Sep 7 #17
I never would have thought to add "tenet" to my search. This is the first time... LAS14 Sep 7 #29
It's not legalese. It's the name of hte company involved in the indictment - Tenet Media. n/t Ms. Toad Sep 7 #58
This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Sep 7 #57
Foreign Agents Registration Act ck4829 Sep 7 #6
Thanks. nt LAS14 Sep 7 #10
Like Paul Manafort was working for ruzzia but never registered as a foreign agent. Same as Menendez working mitch96 Sep 7 #16
The influencers for the most part are not accused of any crimes. RockRaven Sep 7 #7
I guess you know someone who is defending BootinUp Sep 7 #8
The U.S. gov hasn't been a paragon of clarity about what's going on, in my experience. LAS14 Sep 7 #11
Not a paragon compared to who or what? BootinUp Sep 7 #13
Compared to good, accessible communication????? Or... LAS14 Sep 7 #19
I think what he is saying is they have the indictment and the affidavit on their DOJ website. Bev54 Sep 7 #50
It's also in the U.S. constitution GoreWon2000 Sep 7 #12
Money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent. yardwork Sep 7 #14
Thanks. nt LAS14 Sep 7 #18
Read the indictment obamanut2012 Sep 7 #20
I prefer talking with people to talking with algorithms. nt LAS14 Sep 7 #23
The actual indictment is readily available online. MineralMan Sep 7 #21
I prefer talking with people to talking with algorithms. LAS14 Sep 7 #24
Information obtained at second hand is prone MineralMan Sep 7 #25
I guess we just have to agree to disagree on the necessity... LAS14 Sep 7 #26
No, we don't have to agree on anything. MineralMan Sep 7 #28
The indictment is not an algoritm.. getagrip_already Sep 7 #27
But reading indictments is hard, see. MineralMan Sep 7 #30
With age comes the wisdom to identify... LAS14 Sep 7 #32
Age and wisdom demonstrate that looking at the original charging document MineralMan Sep 7 #36
But getting there requires interacting with algorithms. nt LAS14 Sep 7 #31
The link was posted.. getagrip_already Sep 7 #33
What I would read would be legalese. And if it was posted... LAS14 Sep 7 #37
This whole thread is a dogpile. Voltaire2 Sep 7 #49
Thanks. nt LAS14 Sep 7 #59
Judging by the responses, with the exception of one or two posters, no one can explain beyond the headlines msfiddlestix Sep 7 #34
I was pretty satisfied with "failure to register as a foreign agent." LAS14 Sep 7 #38
Acting as a paid agents of a foriegn state magicarpet Sep 7 #40
You're the third, maybe the fourth person to give this answer. So I'm... LAS14 Sep 7 #42
Good grief. The grumpy old folks seem to be in prime shape this afternoon. Biophilic Sep 7 #41
:-) nt LAS14 Sep 7 #43
No shit.. nt miyazaki Sep 7 #44
Here are the Exact Law citations from the actual indictment: MineralMan Sep 7 #45
Thanks for the effort, but the simple responses above, "must register" sufficed for me. nt LAS14 Sep 7 #46
No doubt. MineralMan Sep 7 #48
What the heck did you do to all these people? They seem to be angry with you over something. Think. Again. Sep 7 #52
Yeah. It's a mystery. nt LAS14 Sep 7 #54
Because these are the russian thugs who recruited DJT as a russian asset from 2016. lindysalsagal Sep 7 #55

Voltaire2

(14,407 posts)
1. unreported foreign agent.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 01:43 PM
Sep 7

You cannot act as an agent of a foreign country without registering yourself as such.

LAS14

(14,253 posts)
3. I never understand it when people on DU say you shouldn't...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 01:48 PM
Sep 7

... ask a question here if you could get the answer on Google. If you don't want to answer, just don't take the trouble.

Response to live love laugh (Reply #51)

LAS14

(14,253 posts)
9. On further reflection, it's because I prefer...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 02:01 PM
Sep 7

...interacting with people over interacting with algorithms.

Meadowoak

(5,949 posts)
35. yes, and someone else may be wondering the same question, thank you for asking, because I wasn't really clear on it
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:33 PM
Sep 7

either.

Dear_Prudence

(642 posts)
15. Google isn't foolproof.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 02:19 PM
Sep 7

Google provides plenty on nonsense. DU has scores of participants ready and willing to kick nonsense around the block. For example, Google "echinacea tea benefits" and find out that the herbal tea fights the common cold, cancer, and about a dozen health issues. Oh, really? DUers would form a consensus, something like "herb tea fights dehydration."

LAS14

(14,253 posts)
29. I never would have thought to add "tenet" to my search. This is the first time...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:24 PM
Sep 7

..I can recall hearing that word.

And it would have taken me to a bunch of legalese that I might or might not have been able to interpret.

I like DU people (some of them) better.

Response to struggle4progress (Reply #2)

ck4829

(35,560 posts)
6. Foreign Agents Registration Act
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 01:51 PM
Sep 7

It’s perfectly legal to act as a propagandist for Russia… but you need to tell the rest of the country that you are acting on behalf of Russia

mitch96

(14,428 posts)
16. Like Paul Manafort was working for ruzzia but never registered as a foreign agent. Same as Menendez working
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 02:25 PM
Sep 7

for Egypt but did not register as such...
m

RockRaven

(15,897 posts)
7. The influencers for the most part are not accused of any crimes.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 01:51 PM
Sep 7

Assuming by "the influencers" you mean the Dave Rubins and Tim Pools of this affair, both named and unnamed thus far.

FARA violations require intent. They have to knowingly be acting as agents of a foreign power. Being a useful idiot ought to be embarrassing and discrediting, but if done in ignorance is not a crime by itself.

BootinUp

(48,314 posts)
8. I guess you know someone who is defending
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 01:58 PM
Sep 7

Them or attacking the US government over this. I feel very confident that if you go to the best source, (us gov) you will get a sufficient answer.

LAS14

(14,253 posts)
11. The U.S. gov hasn't been a paragon of clarity about what's going on, in my experience.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 02:03 PM
Sep 7

Where, exactly, would you suggest I go? Call up the DOJ 800 number?

See my comment above about DU vs other avenues.

Why is it that some people here insist on attributing bad motives to simple requests for information??????

LAS14

(14,253 posts)
19. Compared to good, accessible communication????? Or...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 02:49 PM
Sep 7

... more to the point, compared to helpful people here on DU who are happy to take 30 seconds to share some information they happen to have.

MineralMan

(146,998 posts)
21. The actual indictment is readily available online.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:02 PM
Sep 7

I suggest you go and read it. That way, you will have a definitive answer to your question that isn't dependent on someone's faulty understanding.

Getting information firsthand is always preferable if you want the facts.

Of course, if you are asking the question for a different reason, then never mind.

LAS14

(14,253 posts)
24. I prefer talking with people to talking with algorithms.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:13 PM
Sep 7

Several nice people have given me succinct and understandable answers. THAT'S preferable to wading through a bunch of legalese, even if I had figured out the search words to find the indictment.

On top of getting clear, quick answers, I've gotten some interesting commentary on interacting on DU. Conversation is more fun than research, I find.

MineralMan

(146,998 posts)
25. Information obtained at second hand is prone
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:17 PM
Sep 7

to be somewhat, or wholly, misinterpreted. Reading the actual indictment, as has been suggested to you, eliminates that. Why would you not want to be certain that you have it right? That makes no sense to me at all.

LAS14

(14,253 posts)
26. I guess we just have to agree to disagree on the necessity...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:20 PM
Sep 7

...of doing primary research on every question you might have.

MineralMan

(146,998 posts)
30. But reading indictments is hard, see.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:25 PM
Sep 7

If you can get someone else to do it for you and give you a precis of the indictment, you can avoid the work. Even if you get incomplete or incorrect answers and don't know which answers are correct.

LAS14

(14,253 posts)
32. With age comes the wisdom to identify...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:27 PM
Sep 7

... which people are probably giving correct replies. And the multiplicity of those same replies makes them more and more reliable.

MineralMan

(146,998 posts)
36. Age and wisdom demonstrate that looking at the original charging document
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:34 PM
Sep 7

will not only provide actual clarity, but also the law that has been violated. In a single step that is always accurate when an indictment is that document.

Maybe you're not old enough yet to have learned that.

getagrip_already

(16,908 posts)
33. The link was posted..
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:28 PM
Sep 7

All you gotta do is click and read.

I havent read it, but im confident the doj knows the law, put it in front of a grand jury, and got an indictment.

LAS14

(14,253 posts)
37. What I would read would be legalese. And if it was posted...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:38 PM
Sep 7

...before I asked the question, I hadn't seen it.

Voltaire2

(14,407 posts)
49. This whole thread is a dogpile.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 05:07 PM
Sep 7

Sorry for the bizarre reactions. Seemed like a simple question to me.

msfiddlestix

(7,599 posts)
34. Judging by the responses, with the exception of one or two posters, no one can explain beyond the headlines
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:30 PM
Sep 7

while bashing you over the head for failing to read something no one else can explain.

I researched it, so I can't claim how unclear/clear which laws or violations specifically are in question, and how much weight legally speaking do these laws have. I believe Manafort did a hell of a lot more than merely failed to report.

at the end of the day, do the violations amount to any serious felony criminal charges which ultimately translates to serious prison time? or is just a relatively small fine with a slap on the wrist?
I know we should care, or at least I do. On the other hand, if the DOJ is just making press, without anything serious behind the charges, then what's this all about and the end of the day?

magicarpet

(15,791 posts)
40. Acting as a paid agents of a foriegn state
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:53 PM
Sep 7

.... but not being a registered foriegn agent - as required to do so if acting domestically.

There might also be money laundering charges too in this tangled web of deceit. Using sophisticated tools of perception management and propaganda techniques to mold and manipulate public opinions to achieve a preferred result.

LAS14

(14,253 posts)
42. You're the third, maybe the fourth person to give this answer. So I'm...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 04:12 PM
Sep 7

... pretty comfortable accepting this as true-- without researching it myself on Google as others have suggested.

Thanks!!!

Biophilic

(4,412 posts)
41. Good grief. The grumpy old folks seem to be in prime shape this afternoon.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 04:03 PM
Sep 7

I'm 78 and have more patience and good will than a lot of people seem to have this afternoon. Asking questions doesn't hurt anyone. Nor does it use up anyone's time unless they let it. If you don't want to answer a question, don't. Seems pretty simple to me. Why spend time grousing over it seems a waste of time and effort. Besides, it seems a bit rude.

MineralMan

(146,998 posts)
45. Here are the Exact Law citations from the actual indictment:
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 04:27 PM
Sep 7

Here is the link to the actual indictment:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1366266/dl

Since nobody provided you with the exact law citations, I simply clicked the link in the thread to the actual indictment, where I found them near the end of the document, where charges are made in the proper legal format. So, you have your answer. Now, you can go and study the actual "exact laws" to understand what is going on. Of course, you can also read the indictment, which provided details about the activities that led to the charges. I found those details very interesting, but I see no reason to restate them here, since they are available at the link.

On Count 1
Title 18, United States Code, Section 371

On Count 2
Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(2)(A)

Applicable Forfeiture Laws
Title 18, United States Code, Sections 981 and 982;
Title 21, United States Code, Section 853; and
Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461

If you copy those and use them as search information, Google will link you to the actual law, which you can study at your leisure.

Note: It took me less than two minutes to find those "exact laws" for you.

No charge. It was too easy.

MineralMan

(146,998 posts)
48. No doubt.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 04:54 PM
Sep 7

Last edited Sat Sep 7, 2024, 05:27 PM - Edit history (1)

So you didn't actually want the exact laws that were violated. You just wanted a one-sentence summary.

Ask for what you actually want, and someone will probably give it to you. But you didn't do that. Not even close.

lindysalsagal

(21,842 posts)
55. Because these are the russian thugs who recruited DJT as a russian asset from 2016.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 06:06 PM
Sep 7

It was collusion all along, and these guys were holding all the bags of money:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219429162

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