Federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York (SDNY) have charged a dual-national Russian-American, Elena Branson, with working “to promote Russian policies and ideology” for almost a decade, at the direction of the Kremlin – without registering as a foreign agent. In all that time she donated to just one political candidate: then-Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
“According to Federal Election Commission records, an Elena Branson made two donations in 2019 to Gabbard’s presidential campaign. The filings tie the donation to Branson’s former address at a million-dollar condo on Central Park West. However, the merchant banker listed her occupation as ‘not employed,'” The Daily Beast reports.
“Branson is alleged to have corresponded with Putin himself and met with a high-ranking Russia minister before founding a Russian propaganda center here in New York City, the Russian Center New York,” a DOJ statement reveals. “Branson’s promotional outreach, including an ‘I Love Russia’ campaign aimed at American youths, exemplifies her attempts to act at the behest of the Russian government to illegally promote its interests in the United States.”
The DOJ lists a wide array of actions Branson is alleged to have taken, including receiving “tens of thousands of dollars in funding from the Russian government” for the Russian Center New York.
“As alleged, Branson worked as an illegal agent of the Russian government in circumvention of FARA requirements,” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll says in the statement. “At the direction of the Russian government, she led a years long campaign to identify the next generation of American leaders, cultivate information channels, and shape US policy in favor of Russian objectives.”
Branson, according to The Daily Beast, only donated a small amount to Gabbard, “a whopping $59.95,” but her donations “raise questions about why an alleged Russian agent, tasked with currying favor with U.S. politicians, would zero in on Gabbard, and only Gabbard.”
“Gabbard is a longtime favorite of the Russian propaganda machine. She hired an alleged Russian agent on her campaign, and her Putin-backing has struck officials and political observers as well out of the norm for years—perhaps most famously her support for Russian intervention in Syria while defending dictator Bashar al-Assad.”
Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license