Thread by @P_Kallioniemi

In today's #vatniksoup, I'll introduce an American propagandist and political commentator, Ben Swann (@BenSwann_). He's best-known for spreading conspiracy theories related to 9/11, vaccines & Pizzagate, and for running several Kremlin-funded disinformation channels.

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Homeschooled with nine brothers and sisters, Benny turned out to be a talented young man, earning his Master's degree in history at the age of 16.

He was also working as a youth pastor at his local Baptist church at the age of 15.

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Ben's family was heavily involved in TV, and he also started working for various channels, first as a cameraman and later as an investigative journalist. Eventually he launched his own news segment called Reality Check, in which he promoted libertarian views and Ron Paul.

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Swann produced some good investigative journalism, questioning Barack Obama about the so-called presidential drone "kill list", and breaking details about the IRS targeting controversy, but he slowly descended deeper into the world of conspiracy theories.

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In 2013, he left TV for a while, launching a Facebook page called "Full Disclosure" and social media channel "Truth in Media". Through these, Benny spread various conspiracy theories and echoed talking points from propaganda and fake news outlets such as RT and InfoWars.

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Between 2013 and 2015, Ben also appeared regularly on RT America. In 2014, he hosted the Ben Swann Radio Show on a far-right, antisemitic and conspiratorial network called the Republic Broadcasting Network.

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In 2015, he returned to TV, reviving his "investigative journalism" segment Reality Check With Ben Swann. The show lasted for under two years, as he was suspended in Jan 2017 for running a story on the Pizzagate conspiracy theory. This theory suggests that...

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...a pizza restaurant in DC was organizing a child sex trafficking ring in its (non-existent) basement. This narrative came from hacked DNC e-mails, was heavily promoted by pro-Kremlin networks and was fully debunked long before Swann "investigated" it.

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Benny was reinstated after he took down his conspiratorial Truth in Media site, but was finally fired after his employer found out he was trying to revive the website without the network's knowledge and permission.

It seems Ben was deep in that rabbit hole already!

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And oh boy, is that rabbit hole deep. Swann has spread conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting (the one that cost Alex Jones dearly), 9/11, and alleged cover-up of connection between the MMR vaccine and autism.

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He's also spread straight up Kremlin propaganda, including denying chemical weapon attacks conducted by the al-Assad regime and Russians in Syria, and denying the strong evidence that MH17 was shot down with a Russian Buk system by the Russians and pro-Kremlin separatists.

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After being fired, Swann relaunched Truth in Media and started several other online projects, including a failed social media website called Isegoria and Sovren, a self-described "uncensored, blockchain-based, decentralized news and entertainment platform."

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Benny also filed for the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which showed that his company, Rebel Media Productions LLC, was paid 6,8 million USD by the Kremlin. His statement claimed he would "produce propaganda TV content" for the South American, Indian, and Chinese markets.
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Swann was to produce four shows for TV Novosti, a parent company of RT, that has been sanctioned by the UK and the EU, but not the US. Interestingly, Truth in Media is a different company and it is not known how this outlet is being funded.

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Ben's also funded by two other foreign entities, the Russian Kart LLC and an Armenian Stark Industries LLC (referencing Iron Man?). Themes promoted include the "US/NATO provoked wars", "economic warfare waged by the US", and "transgender issues in the US".

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Swann and Rebel Media are responsible for the production of four English-language shows: 360 View, Cost of Everything, The M.O. and The Whistleblowers. Ben's FARA document stated that the shows are not available in the US, which is a false statement, as they actually are.

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In 2024, Truth in Media started publishing an anti-Ukraine propaganda series "Zelenskyy Unmasked". The show combines various conspiracy theories ranging from the "deep state" to "global elites" and of course to BlackRock. We'll probably see some COVID-19 theories, too!

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Like most of Ben's projects, this "documentary" seems to offer little new information,and it's just parroting the Kremlin's propaganda classics. This defamation campaign is also being promoted on X & it seems that the ad is shown in relation to any Ukraine-related content.

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Olga Lautman (@OlgaNYC1211) has been doing fantastic investigation on Swann's project, including Truth in Media, and you can find her ongoing investigation here:



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https://twitter.com/OlgaNYC1211/status/1781414421920649389

To conclude, Ben Swann is an actual foreign agent and propagandist, who has received millions of dollars to produce pro-Kremlin propaganda while living comfortably in Atlanta.

It also seems that he's made some false statements in his FARA filings.

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