Russia Used a Fake Investor to Dupe Influencers, US Says
- Alleged scheme funneled nearly $10 million to US media company
- US says company’s videos often aligned with Moscow’s views
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Eduard Grigoriann was a picture of wealth and sophistication. In a moody image that accompanies his resume, he’s wearing a dark blazer, jeans and gazing out the window of a private jet. Through his globe-trotting, the Brussels-born financier and philanthropist had become attuned to bias in mainstream media, the resume said. He was looking to fix this by starting a conservative news outlet better aligned with his “distinctive and alternative perspectives.”
According to US authorities, Grigoriann’s perspective was Russian and Grigoriann himself a fake, part of an elaborate scheme by the Russian government to use US influencers to spread propaganda and deepen divisions in American society.