American intelligence agencies identify Russian operatives as the thinkers behind a fabricated video depicting the obliteration of ballots in Pennsylvania.
The Intelligence Community concludes that Russian factions fabricated and amplified a misleading clip showing an individual damaging ballots in Pennsylvania, as suggested by intel data and past disinformation tactics of Russian influence actors, such as their video and information campaigns.
The agencies asserted that this video forms part of an ongoing Russian initiative to sow unjustified doubts about the US election's fairness and inflame national divisions during the 2024 race's final stages.
CNN reported earlier on a Friday that investigators suspected Russian operatives had engineered the fake clip, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.
The Bucks County Board of Elections, located north of Philadelphia, dismissed the video as unauthentic on Thursday. The board stated, "The envelope and supplies depicted in this video are not genuine materials possessed by or distributed by the Bucks County Board of Elections."
The county plays a pivotal role in determining whether former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris wins the pivotal battleground state of Pennsylvania.
The video surfaced on X in the afternoon on Thursday and was shared by some users as evidentiary material for voter fraud.
Darren Linvill, an expert on Russian disinformation at Clemson University, identified Russian operatives as the creators of the video. He explained to CNN that the clip adhered to the style and methodology of previous videos from a Russian disinformation campaign known as Storm-1516. Linvill added that the account originating the fabricated video has long shared narratives and campaign content.
This marks the latest instance of suspected foreign interference campaigns in the USA's closing presidential campaign. According to intelligence sources, both Russia, Iran, and China are attempting to discredit the objectivity of US elections.
Russian forces have attempted to disparage Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign, Iranians have targeted President Trump, while China has primarily focused on local contests.
The same Russian network, Storm-1516, also manufactured a defamatory fake video targeting Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz this month, confirmed Linvill and Microsoft experts. US intelligence agencies also attributed the activity to Russia.
Patricia Poprik, chair of the Bucks County Republican Party, admitted to CNN that she received a barrage of texts and calls about the video. Poprik disclosed, "We released a statement because so many individuals reached out to us beyond Pennsylvania."
Poprik acknowledged that a significant number of Republican voters already harbor doubts about voting-by-mail's security, and she aimed to alleviate their concerns. "It's causing fears among voters and isn't our objective," she stated, "I, personally, cast my vote through mail. I believe it's secure."
The Bucks County GOP's attempts to debunk the video are noteworthy as other prominent conservative figures across the nation persistently amplify misinformation.
The initial post of the video has been removed, but it has been repeatedly reposted across various social media sites on Thursday and Friday.
The network controlling the account has been active on social media for years. CNN has identified at least nine other accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Rumble, X, Gettr, Truth Social, and Gab, attributed to this group.
The accounts identified as the source of the video all posted it around the same time, approximately 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday. Many of the accounts frequently promote QAnon conspiracy theories alongside pro-Trump and anti-Harris content.
This title and story have been updated with new developments.
CNN's Tim Lister contributed reporting.
The ongoing Russian initiative aims to create unjustified doubts about the fairness of the 2024 presidential election's final stages, as shown by their fabrication and amplification of misleading election-related content, such as the damaging ballot video.
The Russian network Storm-1516 has been found responsible for creating false videos, including a defamatory one targeting Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz this month, further highlighting their involvement in politics through disinformation campaigns.
