Dem senator: Justice Department should investigate RT America

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) announced Tuesday that she is introducing legislation to bolster the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) ability to investigate RT America, part of the Kremlin-backed news network RT.

 

“We have good reason to believe that RT News is coordinating with the Russian government to spread misinformation and undermine our democratic process,” Shaheen said in a statement. 

She said her legislation “provides the authority needed to request documentation of RT News and find out who they’re accountable to.” 

{mosads}Shaheen’s legislation would allow the attorney general to request documents from RT America if the DOJ believes the organization, or an individual employee, is violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. 

The law requires that any individual working in a “political or quasi-political capacity” for a foreign government disclose the nature of their relationship. If passed, Shaheen’s legislation would broaden the DOJ’s ability to investigate any financial ties between the news organization and Moscow. 

“The American public has a right to know if this is the case. RT News has made public statements boasting that it can dodge our laws with shell corporations, and it’s time for the Department of Justice to investigate,” Shaheen said. 

Shaheen pointed to a director of national intelligence report that called RT America a “Kremlin-financed channel.”  

“The rapid expansion of RT’s operations and budget and recent candid statements by RT’s leadership point to the channel’s importance to the Kremlin as a messaging tool and indicate a Kremlin- directed campaign to undermine faith in the US Government and fuel political protest,” the report added.  

Shaheen’s legislation comes as the House and Senate Intelligence committees probe Russia’s meddling in the presidential election, including any contact between President Trump’s team and Russia.