Thread by @AssertiveN

RAND PAUL & RUSSIA & ELECTION ATTACKS

part 1/4 - #4partRand
@RandPaul consistently advocates for Russia's interests over US values and interests. Why?

In Part 1, the first RUSSIAN INFO ATTACK on a US Election occurs in the presidential race of 2008. #PutinPuppet test?

tl;dr -

Ron Paul's US pres campaign 2008 was a trial run for RUSSIAN ELECTION ATTACK. Rand Paul is elected '12. McConnell puts Rand on ForRelCmte. He appoints pro-Kremlin Dimitri Simes, who in Apr'16 first introduces Kushner and Trump to Kislyak. Rand behaves like an oligarch wannabe.

Part 1 - the Paul elections
Rand Paul worked on his father’s 1988 presidential campaign as the Libertarian candidate. Ron received less than 1% of the vote. They both know what a failed campaign looks like. npr.org/sections/itsal…

Ron Paul ran again in the 2008 presidential race. Social media was just getting started. Botnets engaged for Paul on MySpace, reddit... even skewing polls.
THIS APPEARS TO BE THE FIRST RUSSIAN INFO ATTACK ON A US ELECTION. @LouisAnslow @Timeline_Now timeline.com/ron-paul-russi…

Russia Today set up a YouTube channel right after Paul's announcement, and was their first US cand. interview, An email-spam driven “money bomb raised $6M - at the time, the largest one-day online fundraising push in election history" and the start of the Tea Party. @LouisAnslow

A @WIRED article at the time stated, “If Texas congressman Ron Paul is elected president in 2008, he may be the first leader of the free world put into power with the help of a global network of hacked PCs spewing spam.” Later Ron Paul wins TX Rep '10. wired.com/2007/10/paul-b…

@RandPaul runs for KY Sen'12, wins. @washingtonpost credited Ron, saying "without the last name and the financial support of people who backed Ron Paul… the 2010 election would perhaps have been insurmountably steep.” @washingtonpost washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/w…

These elections look like an early #PutinPuppet test. In 2007 Russia deployed botnet cyberwar capabilities. Election victories are not gifts – the price to be paid comes afterwards - ask Trump. Read “Ron Paul is Putin’s New Best Friend” by @lucia_graves theatlantic.com/politics/archi…

For more, here's the series:
RAND PAUL & RUSSIA & ELECTION ATTACKS

Part 1 –

https://twitter.com/AssertiveN/status/1021077297497948165

Part 2 –

https://twitter.com/AssertiveN/status/1021080685627392000

Part 3 -

https://twitter.com/AssertiveN/status/1021085232714330112

Part 4 -

https://twitter.com/AssertiveN/status/1021086721683755008

#4partRand

@threadreaderapp Unroll please

Here’s the thread: threadreaderapp.com/thread/1021092… For more on Ran Paul, look at #4partRand