The DOJ says a US media company promoted ‘Russian interests.’ Who were its 6 content creators?

An unsealed Justice Department indictment alleged that six content creators who worked for Tennessee-based Tenet Media were, unknown to them, financed by Russian nationals in a scheme to distribute Russian government messaging to U.S. audiences.

Tenet Media and its content creators — three of whom each have more than a million followers on at least one social media platform — were unnamed in the indictment. But the indictment provided identifying details.

The scheme, the indictment said, involved a company established Jan. 19, 2022, in Tennessee that described itself as a "network of heterodox commentators that focus on Western political and cultural issues" and employed six commentators. That exact language is on Tenet Media’s website directly above a "meet the talent" section listing Lauren Southern, Tim Pool, Tayler Hansen, Matt Christiansen, Dave Rubin and Benny Johnson.

Without accounting for likely overlap, their collective audience across all their social media platforms exceed 20 million followers and subscribers. 

The creators collectively have more than 7 million followers on X. All six have "blue check" X subscriber accounts, meaning the site’s algorithm sometimes promotes their posts and replies.

On YouTube — the other platform on which all but one of the creators had an established audience — the creators have more than 7.8 million subscribers. 

The influencers also possess verification badges on YouTube and Meta, which, for people interacting with their content, might afford credibility to the creators’ claims. Meta describes verification as a way to signal a creator is "notable," authentic, and represents a "well-known, highly searched-for person, brand or entity." On YouTube, verification means YouTube has confirmed a channel is "the official channel of a creator, artist, company, or public figure."

Since Tenet Media formally began operating in November 2023, its creators have made and promoted numerous inaccurate claims, including:

• The False claim that conservative commentator Tucker Carlson was put on a Ukrainian "hit list" for interviewing Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

• The False claim that transgender people have "a mental disorder." 

• Inaccurate claims about President Joe Biden’s behavior at a June 6 D-Day anniversary event, including evidence-free claims that Biden had soiled himself or had sat on an "invisible chair."

Russian state-owned news operation RT and the defendants "co-opted online commentators by funneling them nearly $10 million to pump pro-Russia propaganda and disinformation across social media to U.S. audiences," U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said. 

The indictment alleges that Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, both RT employees, funneled nearly $10 million to Tenet Media without disclosing the money’s foreign origins. They face charges of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act and to commit money laundering. 

Tenet Media never disclosed the company was "funded and directed by RT" and Tenet’s founders — conservative commentator Lauren Chen and Liam Donovan — did not register with the attorney general as agents of foreign principals, which the law requires, the indictment said. Neither Chen nor Donvan had been charged with a crime as of Sept. 12. 

The indictment said Tenet Media distributed approximately $8.7 million to three of its commentators’ production companies. One was making $400,000 each month in exchange for "four weekly videos," plus bonuses, another was making $100,000 per video. Other commentators said they were making far less. 

Since the indictment, Tenet Media’s content creators have denied knowledge of Russian funding and all but one released statements saying they retained editorial control of their messaging while working with Tenet.

The Justice Department said Tenet Media’s videos covered a broad range of events and issues, but aimed "to amplify domestic divisions in the United States," one of Russia’s stated goals. 

Scott Radnitz, Russian and Eurasian studies professor at the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington, said "hiring surrogates," who are "sometimes referred to as ‘useful idiots,’" ultimately "obscures Russia’s involvement and ensures that the information gets out to large numbers of sympathetic viewers." 

These six creators were likely selected because they have "reputations as right-wing culture warriors and Trump/MAGA supporters" that align with what Russia worked to elevate in the past, he said. "Much of the rhetoric of the Tenet influencers, which is especially inflammatory on issues like gender and immigration, also dovetails with Putin’s ideological agenda."

Tenet Media’s six content creators, from left: Benny Johnson, Lauren Southern, Dave Rubin, Tim Pool, Matt Christiansen and Tayler Hansen. (Screenshot from Tenet Media)

Radnitz expressed skepticism about how effective Russia’s Tenet Media effort was. 

"If it’s true these influencers maintained editorial control, then they were essentially paid to do what they were already doing — a great deal for the influencers, though not necessarily for their paymasters," he said. "Their social media impact, though divisive, is just a small part of the vast ecosystem of right-wing discourse that persists with or without Russian involvement." 

Radnitz said he was most surprised by how much Russia spent considering "how little benefit it seemingly got from its investment." 

Other right-wing commentators "openly disdain Ukraine or express sympathy for Russia free of charge," he said.

Josephine Lukito, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism and Media who studies Russian disinformation, said the Tenet Media situation shows Russian disinformation is better disguised when it is channeled through intermediaries like Chen and Donovan. 

Although the indictment shows some of the influencers raised concerns about the funding’s source when Chen first approached them, Lukito said, "they may have been persuaded to take the money because these efforts were being supported by Tenet Media's owners.

"To me, this highlights a big vulnerability of political or news influencer groups: they are vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation in ways that even newsrooms and other media organizations are not," Lukito said.

Biography: Johnson, a conservative activist and host of "The Benny Show" podcast, is a Turning Point USA contributor and a former Newsmax host. 

Relevant social media:

• X: 2.7 million followers

• "Blue check" X subscriber? Yes.

• YouTube: 2.39 million million subscribers, verified by YouTube 

• Facebook 2 million followers, verified by Meta

• Instagram: 1.6 million followers, verified by Meta 

Debunked narratives he promoted: In a February Tenet Media video, Johnson claimed Special Counsel Robert Hur had declared Biden couldn’t be prosecuted for allegedly mishandling classified documents because Hur said Biden "doesn’t have the mental capacity to be prosecuted." That characterization was inaccurate. In his report, Hur didn’t say Biden was incompetent to stand trial.

In February, Johnson said, "Ukraine apparently hired an assassin to kill conservative commentator Tucker Carlson for daring to interview" Putin and repeated the claim that Carlson was put on a "Ukrainian hit list" for his Putin interview. 

We rated False the claim that Carlson was put on a Ukrainian "hit list." The Carlson assassination attempt claim was also fact-checked and rated false by both Newsweek and Voice of America, a part of the U.S. government’s international media network. 

In a March Tenet Media video, Johnson also amplified a baseless conspiracy theory that Biden used "hard drugs" to improve his performance during his State of the Union address.  

(Screenshot from Rumble)

Statement since indictment: In a Sept. 4 X post, Johnson said one year ago "a media startup" asked his company to "provide content as an independent contractor." 

"Our lawyers negotiated a standard, arms length deal, which was later terminated," he wrote. "We are disturbed by the allegations in today’s indictment, which make clear that myself and other influencers were victims in this alleged scheme."

On Sept. 6, Johnson posted that the FBI notified him that he was "the victim of a crime" and said he is "the only person who ever had editorial control of my program. Period."

Of note: In April, Johnson repeatedly posted on X, criticizing U.S. lawmakers who supported aid to Ukraine. 

"Politicians are waving Ukraine Flags in the halls of Congress and chanting ‘Ukraine’ as they vote to send another $60 billion overseas," Johnson wrote. "Insane."

Biography: Pool gained a following for live streaming the Occupy Wall Street protests in 2011, and now has multiple podcasts and his website, Timcast, which he describes as "a resource" for people who want information "without the filtering and overtones."

Relevant social media:

• X: 2.1 million followers

• "Blue check" X subscriber? Yes. 

• YouTube: 1.37 million subscribers, verified by YouTube

• Facebook: 511,000 followers, verified by Meta

• Instagram: 402,000 followers, verified by Meta

Debunked narratives he promoted: In December 2023, Pool repeated a claim we’ve rated False when he wrote: "If you are trans you have a mental disorder." Medical experts today widely agree that being transgender is not a mental health disorder.

On June 6, Pool amplified inaccurate claims about Biden’s behavior at a D-Day anniversary event, repeatedly claiming without evidence that Biden had soiled himself. 

Statement since indictment: In a Sept. 4 X post, Pool said that, "should the allegations prove true," he and Tenet Media’s other content creators "were deceived and are victims." Pool said his podcast was "licensed by Tenet Media" but he retained "full editorial control of the show."

"Putin is a scumbag, Russia sucks donkey balls," he concluded. 

On Sept. 5, Pool said on X that the FBI contacted him "as a potential victim of a crime" to request an interview. "I will be offering my assistance in this matter," he said.

Of note: Pool has repeatedly said, "Ukraine is our enemy," including once in an Aug. 14 X post. After the indictment was released, social media users circulated a clip of Pool making an impassioned anti-Ukraine rant. 

"Ukraine is our enemy, being funded by the Democrats," Pool said about six minutes into an Aug. 22 video. "One of the greatest enemies of our nation right now is Ukraine. … We should rescind all funding and financing, pull out all military support, and we should apologize to Russia."

And I ask: does THIS sound like somebody being paid by Russia to you?! pic.twitter.com/ed3futFNsh

— Brett Meiselas 🇺🇸🦅 (@BMeiselas) September 4, 2024

Biography: Rubin is a stand-up comedian-turned-online commentator whose show, "The Rubin Report," features what his website describes as "uncensored conversations about politics, culture, comedy, current events, and more." 

Relevant social media:

• X: 1.5 million followers

• "Blue check" X subscriber? Yes. 

• YouTube: 2.45 million "The Rubin Report" subscribers, verified by YouTube

• Instagram: 441,000 followers, verified by Meta

• Facebook: 166,000 followers, verified by Meta

Debunked narratives he promoted: During a March Tenet Media video, one of Rubin’s guests claimed that a Boeing whistleblower who was found dead had been killed for coming forward to disclose Boeing manufacturing concerns. PolitiFact reported that a coroner’s office said the whistleblower's death appeared to be caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but the investigation continues.

(Screenshot from Rumble)

On June 6, Rubin also amplified the same misleading claims about Biden’s behavior at the D-Day anniversary event in Normandy, France.

In a July 2 video, Rubin shared an X post’s claim that CNN’s Dana Bash was "signaling" to Biden during the June 27 debate between Biden and Trump. Agence France-Presse Fact Check reported that these claims were false; Bash was signaling to Trump that it was not his turn and that her co-moderator was moving onto the next question. 

Statement since indictment: Rubin said the indictment showed that he and Tenet Media’s other five creators were "victims of this scheme."

"I knew absolutely nothing about any of this fraudulent activity. Period," he wrote in a Sept. 4 X post. "‘People of the Internet’ was a silly show covering viral videos which ended four months ago."  

Of note: Rubin said his work with Tenet Media ended months before the indictment. The most recent video we found that featured Rubin on Tenet Media’s Rumble channel was dated May 15, a little over three months before the indictment.

Biography: Southern is a Canadian political commentator who gained a following by espousing anti-Islam views and promoting white supremacist rhetoric including the "great replacement" conspiracy theory, which warns of an elaborate conspiracy by Democratic and Western elites to systematically replace white Americans with nonwhite people through immigration, interracial marriage and other means. 

Relevant social media 

• X: 562,000 followers

• "Blue check" X subscriber? Yes.

• YouTube: 712,000 subscribers, verified by YouTube 

• Facebook: 286,000 followers, verified by Meta

• Instagram: 147,000 followers, verified by Meta

Debunked narratives she promoted: In a February Tenet Media video, Southern amplified the narrative that a Canadian law proposed as a way to counter online hate could lead to lifelong prison sentences for "hate speech." Logically Facts reported that such claims were "misleading" because the "Online Harms Bill would introduce life imprisonment as a penalty for promoting genocide, not for any type of ‘hateful’ speech." Similarly, AAP Fact Check reported that "merely offending others online cannot be punished with a life sentence under the proposed legislation."

(Screenshot from Rumble)

In August, Southern reposted a Pants on Fire claim that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign used artificial intelligence to create images of a crowd at a Michigan campaign rally. Southern urged caution but still amplified the narrative, saying: "I think a lot of the ‘Kamala team AI’d this photo’ claims have been false. Need more info though." 

Statement since indictment: In a Sept. 8 X post, Southern said she had no knowledge of Tenet Media’s connection to RT employees. 

"I am not accused of any crimes and the allegations I’ve read about in the indictment were unknown to me," she wrote. "I believe I have done nothing wrong. I always put significant efforts into making original and thoughtful videos. My contract gave me full editorial control of all my content."

Of note: She is the only woman listed among Tenet Media’s talent. Southern and Chen, a Tenet Media founder who is also from Canada, were friends and occasional collaborators, CBC reported. NBC reported that, in a now-deleted video, Southern said she opted to work with Tenet because "I know the people running it and I know they’re going to let me actually speak my mind."

Biography: Christiansen is a Montana-based YouTuber and podcaster whose X bio says he discusses "politics and culture." 

Relevant social media:

• YouTube: 235,000 subscribers

• X: 31,100 followers

• "Blue check" X subscriber? Yes. 

Debunked narratives he promoted: In a March Tenet Media video, Christiansen hosted a man who advocates for Texas to secede from the United States. PolitiFact, The Texas Tribune and USA Today are among news organizations who have rebutted false claims that Texas could legally secede from the union.

Christiansen also said in the title of a May Tenet Media that "migrant crime is surging," citing a Chicago Tribune report that migrant arrests had increased. However, that report itself said the migrants "do not appear to have fueled a crime wave," and other outlets including The Associated Press and KPBS, a San Diego public radio station, reported that there is no evidence of a spike in crime perpetrated by migrants.

(Screenshot from Rumble)

Statement since indictment: On Sept. 4, Christiansen addressed the indictment in a two-hour live stream. He told viewers he’d "received an email from the FBI asking for a voluntary interview from me, because they believe I’m the victim of a crime." He hadn’t decided how to respond to that request at the time of the livestream, he said. 

Christiansen described Chen, a longtime friend, approaching him in late June 2023 for an opportunity with her new media company. He said he retained "full editorial control" under the terms of the cooperation. He said his connection was to Tenet Media, but "as far as where their business gets its money, that is not my day-to-day operation."

On Sept. 8, he published an "explainer" statement on his website.

Biography: Hansen describes himself as an "independent journalist" and "field reporter," and has a smaller platform than Tenet Media’s other content creators. He recorded footage of a U.S. Capitol Police officer shooting Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Relevant social media reach:

• X: 174,300 followers

• "Blue check" X subscriber? Yes.

• Instagram: 20,200 followers, verified by Meta

• YouTube: 2,870 subscribers

Debunked narratives he promoted: Hansen’s Tenet Media videos primarily featured man-on-the-street style interviews. But he still promoted false claims online. 

On Aug. 5, Hansen reposted an X post that falsely claimed The Washington Post erroneously published an opinion article headline that declared a person who had not yet been announced was "the perfect VP choice for Harris." The Post and other news outlets reported that it was a fake image.

🚨Please note: This is a fake image that is circulating. https://t.co/H8qevQ11jY

— Washington Post PR (@WashPostPR) August 5, 2024

After a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump during a Pennsylvania campaign rally, Hansen shared a video clip of a Secret Service agent struggling to holster a firearm and said: "Women should not be secret service agents — you cannot change my mind on this." Women have been part of the Secret Service since 1971. Several groups advocating for more women in law enforcement condemned such rhetoric and called attacks on gender-equity initiatives "disingenuous distractions" aiming "to sow division."

In another X post after the July 13 shooting, Hansen posted: "Remember when Biden said it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye?" 

This was a nod to July 8 Biden remarks reported by CNN: "We’re done talking about the debate," Biden said. "It’s time to put Trump in the bull’s-eye. We can’t go another day, another day, without explaining what he’s doing, and we have to go after him." Some pointed to the quote to claim that Biden ordered the attack on Trump, but there was no evidence of that.

Statement since indictment: In Sept. 4 X posts, Hansen said the allegations against Tenet Media came "as a complete shock to me and the other hosts at TENET media." He said he was "never directed to report on any topic" and had retained "complete control" over his reporting.

In a Sept. 5 X post, Hansen said Tenet Media had "ended after the DOJ indictment" and announced he was looking for other work. 

Of note: On Sept. 6, Hansen said on X that he’d been "permanently banned" from YouTube, but the company disputed such claims. 

Also, in March, Hansen said Biden’s State of the Union address sounded "a lot like a declaration of war against Russia AND American Citizens." 

Editor’s note: All platform-reach data was collected as of Sept. 6.

PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.