Russian Influence Operations: Ex-Florida Deputy Behind Anti-Harris Deepfakes

A former Florida sheriff's deputy, John Mark Dougan, has been implicated in spreading disinformation against Kamala Harris's campaign, financed by the Russian military. Between March 2021 and August 2023, Dougan reportedly operated multiple fake news websites, such as DC Weekly, the Chicago Chronicle, and the Atlanta Observer. These sites spread misinformation through deepfake technology, a sophisticated tactic aiming to sway public opinion during the 2024 presidential election. This revelation stems from leaked European intelligence documents reviewed by a major news outlet.

Dougan's Collaboration with Russian Entities Dougan's activities were supported financially and operationally by Russia’s military intelligence, the GRU. Specifically, Yury Khoroshevsky, an officer from the GRU’s Unit 29155—known for conducting sabotage and political interference efforts in Western countries—was involved. Khoroshevsky reportedly deposited funds into Dougan's bank account starting April 2022 and had several in-person meetings to coordinate their activities.

Furthermore, Dougan was associated with the Center for Geopolitical Expertise, a Moscow-based organization led by Valery Korovin, a close collaborator with Khoroshevsky. The Center is known to have affiliations with far-right Russian nationalist Alexander Dugin.

U.S. Government Response The Biden administration has raised alarms about Russia’s influence operations in the upcoming elections, alleging that Russian operatives manage numerous websites and social media accounts. These platforms are suspected of distributing disinformation and creating fraudulent social media personas. Several domain names and hundreds of media accounts were shut down by the Department of Justice in July as they were linked to an AI-enhanced Russian bot farm.

Denials and Accusations NewsGuard, an organization monitoring online misinformation, identified Dougan as an origin for false claims spread through these platforms. Despite overwhelming evidence, Dougan rebuffed accusations, claiming he had no involvement with the sites and denying knowledge of key Russian figures linked to the operation.

Dougan contended, “I am merely fighting fire with fire because the West is lying about everything that’s happening.” He positions himself as a counter-narrative force against Western information he deems false.

Current revelations underscore the intricate and ongoing efforts by foreign entities to influence U.S. elections through sophisticated digital manipulations.

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