Right-Wing Podcaster Tim Pool Has Been Linked to Russian Propaganda Scheme

As of Sept. 5, 2024, conservative influencer Tim Pool — along with several other popular content creators under parent company Tenet Media — has been implicated in a Russian propaganda scheme targeting the United States ahead of the 2024 election.

As part the Biden administration's recent efforts to tackle a Russian government-backed effort to influence the election, per CNN, Tenet was revealed to have received almost $10 million in funding in order to further Russian media influence in the U.S. — and its founders, Lauren Chen and Liam Donovan, were knowingly tapped by the the Kremlin to make the company seem more legitimate.

However, though it has been revealed that Tenet's owners were aware of the scheme, many of the company's biggest names have since come out to allege that they had no idea that Tenet had any ties to Russia. In fact, they consider themselves to be victims in this situation.

Here's what we know.

Tim Pool is one of Tenet's most popular creators, with over 2 million followers on X (formerly Twitter) and 1.3 million subscribers to his podcast, The Culture War, on YouTube. He even sat down with Donald Trump for an interview in May.

In a lengthy statement posted to X, he addressed his millions of fans to clear his name regarding the Russia controversy.

"I, as well as the other personalities and commentators, were deceived and are victims. I cannot speak for anyone else at the company as to what they do or to what they are instructed," he said.

"The Culture War podcast was licensed by Tenet Media, it existed well before any license agreement with Tenet and it will continue to exist after any such agreement expires. ... Never at any point did anyone other than I have full editorial control of the show, and the contents of the show are often apolitical. Examples include discussing spirituality, dating, and videos games," he continued.

He ended his statement with a firm message regarding his stance on Russia: "Putin is a scumbag. Russia sucks donkey balls."

Following suit, fellow Tenet figureheads Dave Rubin and Benny Johnson, who also have significant social media followings and large, conservative platforms, also took to X to address the accusations.

"These allegations clearly show that I and other commentators were the victims of this scheme," Dave said. "I knew absolutely nothing about any of this fraudulent activity. Period. People of the Internet was a silly show covering viral videos which ended four months ago. The DOJ has never contacted me regarding this matter and I have no intention to comment further."

Benny, who recently announced that his wife is pregnant with their fourth child, also asserted his innoncence: "The FBI has notified me that I am the victim of a crime. ... I am the only person who ever had editorial control of my program. Period. My attorneys are engaged. We are being smart. Stay tuned."

According to CNN, the goal of the Russian operation was to "fuel pro-Russian narratives, in part, by pushing content and news articles favoring Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and others who the Kremlin deemed to be friendlier to its interests."

And regarding Tenet's influencers, the indictment does state that many of them were told that the project was being bankrolled by an American man named Eduard Grigoriann, who was, in actuality, fictional.