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WASHINGTON – Special counsel Robert Mueller filed his first criminal charges against Russian nationals and businesses on Friday for what he called a wide-ranging effort to undermine the 2016 presidential election, including efforts aimed at "supporting the presidential campaign of then-candidate Donald J. Trump."
The indictment charges 13 Russian nationals and three businesses – including an internet firm tied to the Kremlin – with conspiracy, identity theft, failing to register as foreign agents, and violating laws that limit the use of foreign money in U.S. elections. Prosecutors said officials at that firm, the Internet Research Agency, described their work as "information warfare against the United States" and their goal as "spreading distrust toward the candidates and the political system."
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In the indictment, Mueller charged that some of the Russians, posing as Americans, "communicated with unwitting individuals" associated with Trump's 2016 campaign "to seek to coordinate political activities." It does not allege that the campaign knowingly participated in those efforts, nor did it offer an assessment of whether the scheme delivered on its political goals.
The charges are the government's most detailed accounting to date of an effort by Russian operatives – some with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin – to sow distrust in the U.S. political system and to influence the outcome of the presidential election. Among those indicted was Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian businessman dubbed "Putin's chef" by Russian media.
Source : usatoday
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