Thread by @jseldin

NEW: #Russia|n national charged w/years-long foreign malign influence campaign

Per @TheJusticeDept's Asst Ag Matthew Olsen, Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov "orchestrated a brazen influence campaign, turning US political groups & US citizens into instruments of the Russian gvt"

Ionov, the founder/president of the #Moscow-based Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia (AGMR), worked w/#Russia's FSB, to recruit US political groups in #Florida, Georgia & #California "& exercised direction or control over them on behalf of the FSB" per @TheJusticeDept

"Ionov provided financial support to these groups, directed them to publish pro-#Russia|n propaganda, coordinated & funded direct action by these groups within the United States intended to further Russian interests" per @TheJusticeDept

Per @TheJusticeDept Ionov further "coordinated coverage of this activity in Russian media outlets"

Efforts began with the #Florida political group in May 2015 - "for at least the next 7 years, Ionov exercised direction and control over senior members of US Political Group 1"

MORE: US political groups were aware of Ionov's link to #Russia

"Early in the conspiracy, senior members of US Political Group 1, UIC-1, UIC-2, & UIC-3 exchanged emails about the fact that Ionov was working on behalf of the Russian government"

The #Florida-based political group maintained ties w/Ionov thru #Russia's invasion of #Ukraine

"In a report to the FSB, Ionov explained that he had enlisted US Political Group 1 to support Russia in the “information war unleashed” by the West" per @TheJusticeDept

.@TheJusticeDept alleges #Russia's Ionov "also exercised direction and control over US Political Group 3, an organization based in #California whose primary goal was to promote California’s secession from the United States"

In Jan-Feb 2018, Ionov "supported US Political Group 3’s efforts...to orchestrate a protest demonstration at the #California Capitol building" per @TheJusticeDept
"Ionov partially funded the efforts and attempted to direct UIC-6 to physically enter the governor’s office"

.@TheJusticeDept also alleges Ionov paid for members of the #Georgia-based political group "to travel from Atlanta to San Francisco to protest at the headquarters of a social media company that had placed content restrictions on posts supporting #Russia’s invasion of #Ukraine"

Ionov is "charged with conspiring to have US citizens act as illegal agents of the #Russian gvt" per @TheJusticeDept

"If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison"