US Treasury Sanctions Iranian and Russian Entities Over Election Interference

The US Treasury Department has sanctioned two entities accused of attempting to influence the upcoming 2024 US elections. One is a subsidiary of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the other is an organization linked to Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU). According to the Treasury's statement, these entities aimed to "stoke socio-political tensions" and manipulate the US electorate.

Bradley Smith, Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the US Treasury, emphasized that both Iran and Russia have targeted US election processes and institutions. The goal, Smith said, was to sow division within the American public through disinformation campaigns. The US government, Smith assured, will remain vigilant in defending the integrity of its democracy against foreign interference.

The sanctions specifically targeted the Cognitive Design Production Center, which, according to the Treasury, has been actively involved in influence operations since at least 2023. This organization, aligned with the IRGC, allegedly incited tensions among US voters by spreading disinformation. The Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE), another entity sanctioned by the US, is accused of distributing misleading information about political candidates and funding the creation of deepfakes. These tactics were intended to destabilize the election process.

The Treasury claims that CGE, under the direction of the GRU, used generative AI to create and spread disinformation across websites that mimicked legitimate news outlets. These sites, part of a network of over 100, were used to manipulate public opinion, with financial backing from the GRU to support these operations.

Valery Mikhaylovich Korovin, the director of CGE, was also personally sanctioned as part of this effort.

The US government's sanctions come amidst heightened concerns about foreign interference in US elections. A recent annual threat assessment highlighted that Russia, Iran, and China are using artificial intelligence tools to spread fake or divisive content, posing a significant challenge to election integrity.