America’s Russian influence media scandal is unlikely to be the last

Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, Dave Rubin and Lauren Southern aren’t household names, but they each have enormous, dedicated followings online. Their podcasts and videos all promote similar narratives: liberal values are destroying the West, Ukraine is America’s enemy, Covid vaccines are harmful and pointless and that Donald Trump, though flawed, is the United States’ last hope before it becomes a Communist murderdome ruled by trans Venezuelan drug gangs.

When these influencers came together in November last year to launch Tenet Media, it didn’t make a lot of sense. Each already had their own brand and platform. How would this new media company benefit them?

This week, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) answered that question. In an indictment, the DoJ alleged that an unnamed media company, believed to be Tenet Media, was effectively a vehicle for funnelling Russian government money to these influencers, paying some of them $100,000 (£76,000) for each video they produced. There