Russia, China, Iran trying to influence US election, intelligence official says

Russia is the most active foreign adversary trying to influence the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, while China is more focused on influencing down-ballot races, a senior U.S. intelligence official said on Friday.

The official said Iran is more active than in past cycles, stepping up its efforts to sway voters leading up to the presidential and congressional election.

The U.S. intelligence community is increasing the use of private warnings to targets of foreign influence operations, the official added in a briefing to reporters.

The briefing followed U.S. money-laundering charges against two employees of Russian state media network RT on Wednesday for what officials said was a scheme to hire an American company to produce online content to influence the 2024 presidential election.

Justice Department officials said the two employees used shell companies and fake personas to pay $10 million to an unidentified Tennessee company to produce online videos aimed at amplifying political divisions in the United States.

U.S. officials told a Senate committee in May that an increasing number of foreign actors, including non-state actors, are seeking to influence U.S. elections, and Russia, China and Iran, while the most significant, are far from alone.

(Reuters)