US intelligence officials confirm Russia is actively targeting Walz with viral disinformation campaign

Groups in Russia created and helped spread viral disinformation targeting Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, a senior U.S. intelligence official said in October.

The content, which included unsubstantiated allegations against the Minnesota governor as a teacher, contained several indications that he was manipulated, according to a spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Analysts have identified evidence that links the content to Russian disinformation operations, said the official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under rules set by the director’s office.

Digital researchers have already linked the video to Russia, but this announcement marks the first time federal authorities have confirmed the connection.

The disinformation targeting Walz is consistent with Russian disinformation seeking to undermine the Democratic campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz, her running mate. Russia is also spreading disinformation aimed at stoking divisions and divisions ahead of the vote and may seek to encourage violent protests after Election Day, officials said.

In September, Microsoft analysts discovered that a viral video that baselessly claimed Harris left a woman paralyzed in an accident 13 years ago was Russian disinformation. Most recently, video surfaced of a man claiming to be a former student of Walz accusing the candidate of sexual harassment several years ago. Private researchers from disinformation tracking firms, including NewsGuard, have already concluded that the video was fake and that the person in the footage was not who he said he was.

The Associated Press has contacted the former employer of the man whose identity was used in the video. Employer Viktor Elokhin confirmed that the man shown in the video was an impostor.

Some researchers also suggested that the video may contain evidence that it was created using artificial intelligence, but federal officials did not reach the same conclusion, saying only that the video contained numerous signs of manipulation.

China and Iran also tried to influence the US election using online disinformation. While Russia targeted the Democratic presidential campaign, Iran targeted Republican Donald Trump by spreading disinformation and hacking the former president’s campaign headquarters. Meanwhile, China is focusing its influence efforts on the election race, as well as general efforts to sow distrust and dissatisfaction with democracy.

There are no indications that Russia, China or Iran are planning major attacks on election infrastructure to disrupt the election, officials said.

Jen Easterly, director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said improved election security meant it would be impossible for another foreign adversary to change the results.