This blog originally appeared at LGBT Nation.

The Department of Justice disclosed that Tenet Media was primarily funded by Russian state media and frequently gives a platform to anti-LGBTQ+ broadcasters. N

According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) indictment, several anti-LGBTQ+ right-wing broadcasters, including Tim Pool and Dave Rubin (who is gay), have unknowingly worked for a Russian government-funded media company designed to spread propaganda and disinformation to U.S. audiences. While there is no evidence suggesting the broadcasters were aware of the company’s Russian ties, unsealed court documents revealed that Russia supports former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, as reported by The Hill.

The FBI is now investigating the case, drawing parallels to Russian “troll farms” that spread anti-Democratic content during the 2016 and 2020 elections. In response, the Biden administration confirmed ongoing Russian efforts to influence the 2024 election, and the DOJ seized 32 web domains used by Russia to propagate its messaging in the U.S.

The DOJ indictment claims that two employees of RT (formerly Russia Today), a Russian state-controlled media outlet, secretly funneled nearly $10 million over the past year to fund and manage Tenet Media, a Tennessee-based online content creation company. This company, which platforms the aforementioned broadcasters, has produced over 2,000 videos in the past 10 months on TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube. These videos have garnered more than 20 million views collectively, according to the DOJ.

Although the indictment doesn’t explicitly name Tenet Media, referring to it only as “U.S. Company 1,” it does describe the company as a “network of heterodox commentators that focus on Western political and cultural issues.” This description aligns with the one Tenet Media uses on its YouTube channel, as noted by New York Times reporter Aric Toler.

The RT employees, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, operated under the aliases Helena Shudra and Victoria Pesti, managing the funding, hiring, and content editing for the company.

Tenet Media’s YouTube channel features several anti-LGBTQ+ videos, including titles like “Fellas, Is It Gay To Date A Trans Woman?”, “The TRUTH About Gender Ideology,” videos claiming Pride parades expose children to nudity, and another falsely accusing the drag queen segment of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies of “mocking Christianity.” The segment’s artistic director clarified it depicted a Dionysian feast.

In alignment with this rhetoric, Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the U.S. of imposing gender “perversions” on Russian schoolchildren, using this as a pretext for anti-LGBTQ+ policies and his continued invasion of Ukraine. Tenet Media has also published videos criticizing Ukraine, claiming it spreads violence and unrest in Russia.

The DOJ stated, “While the views expressed in the videos are not uniform, most are aligned with the publicly stated goals of the Government of Russia and RT — to deepen domestic divisions within the United States.”

Tenet Media’s website lists prominent figures like Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, Tayler Hansen, and Turning Point USA’s chief creative officer Benny Johnson — all of whom have expressed anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments on social media. The platform has also hosted discussions between former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and conservative gay commentator Glenn Greenwald.

On Wednesday, the Biden administration revealed that Russian government agents had been operating websites, social media platforms, and creating fake social media personas to push propaganda that supports Russian interests. According to The Verge, the DOJ announced it had already seized 32 web domains connected to this Russian scheme and indicated that more seizures are likely as the investigation continues.

Numerous media studies have demonstrated that Russian government-funded “troll farms” spread state propaganda aimed at deepening political divisions in the U.S. during the 2016 and 2020 elections. The exposure of Tenet Media represents the latest version of this tactic, with Russian agents seemingly using anti-LGBTQ+ media figures as part of their broader anti-American disinformation campaign.