Groups in Russia are seeking to disrupt the U.S. presidential election by creating and spreading disinformation about Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, according to a top U.S. official.
The official with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, said the disinformation being produced by Russians includes false claims about Walz’s time working as a teacher, as well as faked video with abuse allegations.
The Associated Press reported that researchers had previously linked the faked video to Russia, but Tuesday’s comments from the official was the first confirmation from a federal authority.
The smear campaign of the Minnesota governor is said to be part of a coordinated effort by Russia to target Vice President Kamala Harris, while U.S. officials also believe Moscow might continue to spread political disinformation in an attempt to foment violet protests following November’s presidential election.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, speaks at a rally at York Exposition Center UPMC Arena on October 2, 2024, in York, Pennsylvania. The U.S. has accused Russia of creating and spreading disinformation about Walz.
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
“Some of these influence efforts are aimed at inciting violence and calling into question the validity of democracy as a political system, regardless of who wins,” The Washington Post, which also participated in the briefing about the disinformation campaign, quoted a senior intelligence official as saying.
Russia is “potentially seeking to stoke threats towards poll workers, as well as amplifying protests and potentially encouraging protests to be violent,” the official added, according to the Post.
The Washington Post described one video that features a man who calls himself “Matthew Metro.” The man claims to have been a student of Walz’s at a high school decades ago, and he goes on to detail fabricated abuse accusations, according to officials. The video has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter), where it has been watched by millions of people.
Firms that track disinformation had already investigated the Matthew Metro video and concluded it was fake. The Associated Press also communicated with a former employer of the man whose identity was used in the video, and the employer said the man in the video was an impostor.
Russian disinformation efforts have also recently targeted Harris. In September, Microsoft analysts said that Russia was behind a video that fraudulently claimed a hit-and-run incident involving Harris left a woman paralyzed.
Despite such instances of disinformation, officials on Tuesday said there is no credible evidence to suggest that Russia, China or Iran are planning attacks on election infrastructure as an attempt to affect the outcome of the election.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
