Russian-linked fake video claims Haitian voter fraud, targeting Georgia elections


Overview:

U.S. intelligence companies report that Russian actors produced a fabricated video falsely displaying a Haitian immigrant concerned in voter fraud in Georgia. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and federal officers are working to counteract this disinformation marketing campaign as election tensions heighten.

In a disinformation effort linked to Russian interference, a falsified video claiming {that a} Haitian immigrant voted a number of occasions in Georgia has gained widespread consideration on social media. The video, which Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger condemned as “focused disinformation,” has been confirmed as overseas interference by the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company (CISA).

The video depicts a person displaying a number of Georgia driver’s licenses whereas asserting he has voted a number of occasions in favor of the Democratic ticket. Following a backlash, Raffensperger labeled the video as “false and a part of a disinformation effort.” He added that the CISA is investigating the video’s supply in collaboration with federal and state companions, urging Elon Musk and different social media platform leaders to take away it from circulation instantly.

“The IC assesses that Russian affect actors manufactured a current video that falsely depicted people claiming to be from Haiti and voting illegally in a number of counties in Georgia,” learn a joint statement from the three companies. Officers indicated that this video, amongst different fabricated content material, is a part of “Moscow’s broader effort to boost unfounded questions in regards to the integrity of the US election and stoke divisions amongst People.”

“This can be a traditional instance of disinformation designed to stir confusion and distrust simply earlier than the election,” Raffensperger mentioned in a press release. “We’re working to hint this video’s origins to curb the unfold of those deceptive narratives.”

This incident underscores a broader development of disinformation focusing on immigrant communities, significantly Haitians, in an election cycle rife with racially charged political rhetoric. Earlier within the 12 months, false claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio have been attacking residents’ pets went viral, propagated initially by neo-Nazi teams and later echoed by some high-profile political figures, together with former President Donald Trump. The implications have been extreme, with bomb threats forcing a number of college closures and heightening public tensions within the Ohio group.

For political scientists, this current video is one other unsettling reminder of how their id and standing are being weaponized for political achieve. 

“Haitians are a handy scapegoat,” mentioned Dr. Sharon Austin Wright, a political science professor on the College of Florida. Wright teaches African American historical past and is the creator of “The Caribbeanization of Black Politics: Race, Group Consciousness, and Political Participation in America.”

“It’s actually unhappy that even now, when we’ve got so many Haitians doing properly and Haitian American elected officers, folks nonetheless consider them as simple scapegoats.”

The ODNI, FBI, and CISA warned that “within the lead-up to election day and within the weeks and months after,” Russian actors are more likely to launch extra disinformation to “undermine belief within the integrity of the election.” 

The continued investigation into this video underscores the urgency of monitoring and countering disinformation because the 2024 presidential election approaches.





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