Washington, DC…Today the DOJ announced that 13 Russian nationals have been indicted for efforts to sow discord in the American election process and in what the defendants called information warfare. Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein’s statement is below and full text is enclosed…

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>> THIS IS YOUR TWO- MINUTE WARNING. YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL ROD ROSENSTEIN/ T WO-MINUTE WARNING.

MR. ROSENSTEIN: GOOD AFTERNOON. AN INDICTMENT TODAY WAS RETURNED TO BUY THE SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE, CHARGING 13 RUSSIAN NATIONALS AND THREE RUSSIAN COMPANIES FOR COMMITTING FEDERAL CRIMES WHILE SEEKING TO INTERFERE IN THE UNITED STATES POLITICAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. THE DEFENDANTS ALLEGEDLY CONDUCTED WHAT THEY CALLED INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST THE UNITED STATES WITH THE STATED GOAL OF SPREADING DISTRUST TOWARD THE CANDIDATES AND THE POLITICAL SYSTEM IN GENERAL. ACCORDING TO THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE INDICTMENT, 12 OF THE INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANTS WORKED AT VARIOUS TIMES FOR A COMPANY CALLED INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY LLC, A RUSSIAN-BASED COMPANY IN ST. PETERSBURG.

OTHERS TARGETING FOREIGN AUDIENCES IN MULTIPLE COUNTRIES. INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY ALLEGEDLY — ALLEGEDLY OPERATED THROUGH RUSSIAN SHELL COMPANIES, EMPLOYED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AND ONLINE OPERATIONS, RANGING FROM CREATORS OF FICTITIOUS PERSONAS TO TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT PERSONNEL WITH AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY WITH A STRUCTURE ORGANIZATION ARRANGED INTO DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING GRAPHICS, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, AND FINANCE DEPARTMENTS.

IN 2014, THE COMPANY ESTABLISHED A TRANSMITTER PROJECT FOCUSED ON THE UNITED STATES. IN JULY OF 2016, MORE THAN 80 EMPLOYEES WERE ASSIGNED TO THE TRANSLATOR PROJECT. TWO OF THE DEFENDANTS ALLEGEDLY TRAVELED TO THE UNITED STATES IN 2014 TO COLLECT INTELLIGENCE FOR THEIR AMERICAN INFLUENCE OPERATIONS. IN ORDER TO HIDE THE RUSSIAN ORIGINS OF THEIR ACTIVITIES, THE DEFENDANTS ALLEGEDLY ARE JUST AND COMPUTER SERVERS LOCATED HERE IN THE UNITED STATES TO SET UP A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK. THE DEFENDANTS ALLEGEDLY USED OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE TO ESTABLISH HUNDREDS OF ACCOUNTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS SUCH AS FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER, MAKING IT APPEAR THAT THOSE ACCOUNTS WERE CONTROLLED BY PERSONS LOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES.

THEY USED STOLEN OR FICTITIOUS AMERICAN IDENTITIES, FRAUDULENT BANK ACCOUNTS, AND FALSE IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS. THEY POSED AS POLITICALLY AND SOCIALLY ACTIVE AMERICANS, ADVOCATING FOR AND AGAINST PARTICULAR CANDIDATES. THEY ESTABLISHED SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AND GROUPS TO COMMUNICATE WITH UNWITTING AMERICANS. THEY ALSO PURCHASED POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS. THE RUSSIANS ALSO RECRUITED AND PAID REAL AMERICANS TO ENGAGE IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES, PROMOTE POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS, AND STAGE POLITICAL RALLIES. THE DEFENDANTS AND CO-CONSPIRATORS PRETENDED TO BE GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS. THE AMERICANS DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE COMMUNICATING WITH RUSSIANS, ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT.

AFTER THE ELECTION, THE DEFENDANTS ALLEGEDLY STAGED RALLIES TO SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY STAGING RALLIES TO PROTEST HIS ELECTION. FOR EXAMPLE, THE DEFENDANTS ORGANIZED ONE RALLY TO SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT-ELECT AND ANOTHER RALLY TO OPPOSE HIM, BOTH IN NEW YORK ON THE SAME DAY. ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2017, SOON AFTER THE NEWS MEDIA REPORTED THAT THE SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE WAS INVESTIGATING EVIDENCE THAT RUSSIAN OPERATIVES USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO INTERFERE WITH THE 2016 ELECTION, ONE DEFENDANT ALLEGEDLY WROTE, “WE HAD A SLIGHT CRISIS HERE AT WORK. THE FBI BUSTED OUR ACTIVITY, SO I GOT PREOCCUPIED WITH COVERING TRACKS TOGETHER WITH MY COLLEAGUES.”

THE INDICTMENT INCLUDES EIGHT CRIMINAL COUNTS. COUNT ONE ALLEGES A CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY TO FRAUD THE UNITED STATES, ALL OF THE DEFENDANTS. THEY ALLEGEDLY CONSPIRED TO DEFRAUD AMERICA BY IMPAIRING THE LAWFUL FUNCTIONS OF THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. THOSE ORGANIZATIONS OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DISCLOSURE OF FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT IN CERTAIN DOMESTIC ACTIVITIES. COUNT TWO CHARGES CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT WIRE FRAUD AND BANK FRAUD BY INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY AND TWO OF THE INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANTS. THREE THROUGH EIGHT CHARGE AGGRAVATED IDENTITY THEFT BY INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY AND FOUR OF THE DEFENDANTS.

THERE IS NO ALLEGATION IN THIS INDICTMENT THAT ANY AMERICAN WAS A KNOWING PARTICIPANT IN THIS ILLEGAL ACTIVITY. THERE IS NO ALLEGATION IN THE INDICTMENT THAT THE CHARGE ALTERED THE OUTCOME OF THE 2016 ELECTION. I WANT TO CAUTION YOU THAT EVERYONE CHARGED WITH A CRIME IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNLESS AND UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN COURT. A TRIAL, PROSECUTORS WAS INTRODUCED GRETEL EVIDENCE SUFFICIENT TO PROVE EACH DEFENDANT GUILTY BEYOND ANY REASONABLE DOUBT TO A UNANIMOUS JURY. THE SPECIAL COUNSEL’S INVESTIGATION WAS ONGOING. THERE WILL BE NO COMMENTS FROM THE SPECIAL COUNSEL AT THIS TIME. THIS INDICTMENT SERVES AS A REMINDER THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT ALWAYS WHO THEY APPEAR TO BE. THE INDICTMENT ALLEGES THAT THE RUSSIAN CONSPIRATORS WANT TO PROMOTE DISCORD IN THE UNITED STATES AND UNDERMINE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN DEMOCRACY. WE MUST NOT ALLOW THEM TO HIS EXCEED. THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES AND WITH THE CONGRESS TO DEFEND OUR NATION AGAINST SIMILAR CURRENT AND FUTURE EFFORTS. I WANT TO THINK THE FEDERAL AGENTS AND PROSECUTORS WHO ARE WORKING ON THIS CASE FOR THEIR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE. I WILL BE HAPPY TO TAKE A FEW QUESTIONS.

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MR. ROSENSTEIN: I HAVE IDENTIFIED THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE INDICTMENT. THERE IS NO ALLEGATION OF ANY EFFECT ON THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.

>> ON PAGE FOUR, PARAGRAPH SIX, A TALKS ABOUT THE TRUNK AND PAIN, SAYING DEFENDANTS COMMUNICATED WITH UNWITTING INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN. LATER IN THE INDICTMENT, CAMPAIGN OFFICIALS A REFERENCED, NOT BY THEIR NAME. WERE CAMPAIGN OFFICIALS COOPERATING OR WERE THEY DUPED? WHAT WAS THE RELATIONSHIP?

MR. ROSENSTEIN: THERE IS NO ALLEGATION IN THIS INDICTMENT THAT ANY AMERICAN HAD ANY KNOWLEDGE. THE NATURE OF THE SCHEME WAS THE DEFENDANTS TOOK EXTRAORDINARY STEPS TO MAKE IT APPEAR THAT THEY WERE ORDINARY AMERICAN POLITICAL ACTIVISTS, EVEN SO FAR AS TO BASE THEIR ACTIVITIES ON A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY APPEAR TO BE AMERICANS.

>> DID YOU HAVE ANY ASSURANCES FROM THE RUSSIANS THAT THEY WILL PROVIDE HIS INDIVIDUALS FOR THE PROSECUTION?

MR. ROSENSTEIN: NO COMMUNICATIONS WITH RUSSIANS ABOUT THIS AT WE WILL FOLLOW THE ORDINARY PROCESS OF SEEKING COOPERATION AND EXTRADITION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.