A Tennessee-based media network that produces programming for prominent right-wing influencers such as Benny Johnson and Tim Pool received significant funding from the Russian government-backed news network RT, according to a federal indictment unsealed by the Department of Justice on Wednesday. The Justice Department alleges that the U.S. company — which other news outlets such as WIRED have identified as Tenet Media but is not named in the indictment — posted hundreds of videos on social media that promoted Kremlin-approved talking points.
Tenet Media’s network, whose tagline is “Fearless Voices Are Here,” includes online creators known for their right-wing politics, including Johnson, Poole, Dave Rubin and Lauren Southern. The network’s individual creators have combined followings in the millions, while Tenet Media itself boasts more than 315,000 on YouTube and thousands more on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.
Johnson, Pool, Rubin and Southern did not immediately respond to requests for comment. None have been accused of wrongdoing. “I am disturbed by the allegations in today’s indictment,” Johnson wrote about X, referring to himself and his lawyer. “It is clear that I and other influencers were victims of this alleged scheme.” Pool also released a statement about X, saying, “If these allegations are true, not only have I, but other talent and commentators have also been deceived and victimized.” Rubin retweeted Pool’s post.
Prosecutors say in the indictment that Tenet and its founders — who are not named in the indictment but company records show are right-wing influencer Lauren Chen and her husband, Liam Donovan — actively concealed the company’s Russian ties from individual creators.
According to the Justice Department, Tenet allegedly received approximately $9.7 million from RT. Of that, $8.7 million was paid to the production companies of three unnamed commentators, according to the indictment. The commentator, referred to as “Commentator 1,” believed to be either Johnson or Rubin, was contracted to produce four videos per week for $400,000 per month. The Justice Department alleges that the approximately $10 million that Tenet Media allegedly received from RT “represents nearly 90 percent” of the funds deposited in the company’s accounts.
The Justice Department identified Tenet Media only as “United States Company 1,” but noted in the indictment that the company described itself as “a network of unorthodox commentators focused on Western political and cultural issues” — a description that matches the description on Tenet Media’s website.
Tenet and Chen did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The U.S. indicted Russian RT employees Kostyantin Kalashnikov and Yelena Afanasyeva, who allegedly worked with Tenet Media to produce hundreds of videos supporting Russian causes, are charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with their work with Tenet Media and related activities.
The two were allegedly heavily involved in Tenet Media’s operations while posing as outside video editors. For example, Kalashnikov “monitored internal communications and edited content published by the company,” according to the indictment. Afanasyeva, who allegedly used the false personas “Helena Shudra” and “Victoria Pesti” while working at Tenet Media, “edited, contributed, and directed the posting” of Tenet Media and “gave daily direction” to the company’s staff. Afanasyeva’s work for Tenet Media also allegedly included directing the company to post pro-Russian viewpoints, such as pushing a conspiracy theory that Ukraine and the United States were responsible for a March terrorist attack at a Moscow music venue.
