HOW MANY PEOPLE ON HIS TEAM --
>> Melissa: I'M GOING TO STAND
YOU BY, WE ARE UNDER WAY >> AND
INDICTMENT PRESENTED BY THE
SPECIAL COUNSEL'S OFFICE.
THREE RUSSIAN COMPANIES FOR
COMMITTING FEDERAL CRIMES WHILE
SEEKING TO INTERFERE IN THE
UNITED STATES POLITICAL SYSTEM.
INCLUDING THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION.
THE DEFENDANTS ALLEGEDLY
CONDUCTED WHAT THEY CALLED
INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST THE
UNITED STATES.
WITH THE STATED GOAL OF
SPREADING DISTRUST TOWARDS THE
CANDIDATES AND THE POLITICAL
SYSTEM IN GENERAL.
ACCORDING TO THE ALLEGATIONS IN
THE INDICTMENT, 12 OF THE
INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANTS WORKED AT
VARIOUS TIMES FOR A COMPANY
CALLED INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY
LLC.
A RUSSIAN COMPANY BASED IN
ST. PETERSBURG.
THE OTHER INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANT
FUNDED THE CONSPIRACY THROUGH
COMPANIES KNOWN AS CONCORDE
MANAGEMENT AND CONSULTING LLC.
AND MANY AFFILIATES AND
SUBSIDIARIES.
THE CONSPIRACY WAS PART OF A
LARGER OPERATION CALLED PROJECT,
OTHERS TARGETING FOREIGN
AUDIENCES IN MULTIPLE COMPANIES.
IT EMPLOYED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE
IN ITS ONLINE OPERATIONS,
RANGING FROM CREATORS OF
FICTITIOUS PERSONA'S TO
TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
SUPPORT PERSONNEL WITH AN ANNUAL
BUDGET OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY WAS A
STRUCTURED ORGANIZATION HANDED
FIRE MANAGEMENT GROUP AND
ARRANGED IN DEPARTMENTS
INCLUDING GRAPHICS, SEARCH
ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY AND FINANCE
DEPARTMENTS.
IN 2014 THE COMPANY ESTABLISHED
A TRANSLATOR PROJECT FOCUSED ON
THE UNITED STATES.
IN JULY OF 2016 MORE THAN 80
EMPLOYEES WERE ASSIGNED TO THE
TRANSLATOR PROJECT.
TWO OF THE DEFENDANTS ALLEGEDLY
TRAVELED TO THE UNITED STATES IN
2014 TO COLLECT INTELLIGENCE FOR
THEIR AMERICAN INFLUENCE
OPERATIONS.
IN ORDER TO HIDE THE RUSSIAN
ORIGINS OF THEIR ACTIVITIES, THE
DEFENDANTS ALLEGEDLY PURCHASED
SPACE ON COMPUTER SERVERS
LOCATED HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES IN ORDER TO SET UP
A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK.
THE DEFENDANTS ALLEGEDLY USE
THAT INFRASTRUCTURE TO ESTABLISH
HUNDREDS OF ACCOUNTS ON SOCIAL
MEDIA NETWORKS SUCH AS FACEBOOK,
INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER.
MAKING IT APPEAR THAT THOSE
ACCOUNTS WERE CONTROLLED BY
PERSONS LOCATED IN THE
UNITED STATES.
THEY USED STOLEN OR FICTITIOUS
AMERICAN IDENTITIES, FRAUDULENT
BANK ACCOUNTS AND FALSE
IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS.
THE DEFENDANTS POSED AS
POLITICALLY AND SOCIALLY ACTIVE
AMERICANS.
ADVOCATING FOR AND AGAINST
PARTICULAR CANDIDATES.
THEY ESTABLISH SOCIAL MEDIA
PAGES AND GROUPS TO COMMUNICATE
WITH UNWITTING AMERICANS.
THEY ALSO PURCHASED POLITICAL
ADVERTISEMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
NETWORKS.
THE RUSSIANS ALSO RECRUITED AND
PAID A REAL AMERICANS TO ENGAGE
IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES FROM
BOTH POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND
STAGE POLITICAL RALLIES.
THE DEFENDANTS AND THEIR
COCONSPIRATORS PRETENDED TO BE
GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS.
ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT THE
AMERICANS DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE
COMMUNICATING WITH RUSSIANS.
AFTER THE ELECTION THE
DEFENDANTS ALLEGEDLY STAGE
RALLIES TO SUPPORT THE
PRESIDENT-ELECT WHILE
SIMULTANEOUSLY STAGING RALLIES
TO PROTEST HIS ELECTION.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE DEFENDANTS
ORGANIZE ONE RALLY TO SUPPORT
THE PRESIDENT-ELECT AND ANOTHER
RALLY TO OPPOSE HIM, BOTH IN
NEW YORK ON THE SAME DAY.
ON SEPTEMBER 13TH OUT OF OF
2017, SOON AFTER THE NEWS MEDIA
REPORTED THAT THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL'S OFFICE WAS
INVESTIGATING EVIDENCE THAT
RUSSIAN OPERATIVES HAD USED
SOCIAL MEDIA TO INTERFERE WITH
THE 2016 ELECTION, ONE DEFENDANT
ALLEGEDLY WROTE "WE HAD A SLIGHT
CRISIS HERE AT WORK.
THE FBI BUSTED OUR ACTIVITIES SO
I GOT PREOCCUPIED WITH COVERING
TRACKS TOGETHER WITH MY
COLLEAGUES."
AT THE INDICTMENT INCLUDES EIGHT
CRIMINAL COUNTS, COUNT ONE
ALLEGES A CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY TO
DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES BY ALL
OF THE DEFENDANTS.
THE DEFENDANTS ALLEGEDLY
CONSPIRED TO DEFRAUD AMERICA BY
IMPAIRING ALL LAWFUL FEDERAL
ELECTION COMMISSION, THE
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
STATE.
THOSE ORGANIZATIONS OF THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
ADMINISTERING FEDERAL
REQUIREMENTS FOR DISCLOSURE OF
FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT IN CERTAIN
DOMESTIC ACTIVITIES.
COUNT TWO CHARGES CONSPIRACY TO
COMMIT WIRE FRAUD AND BANK FRAUD
BY INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY IN
THE END IT INDIVIDUAL
DEFENDANTS.
COUNTS THREE THROUGH EIGHT
CHARGE AGGRAVATED IDENTITY THEFT
BY INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY AND
FOUR INDIVIDUALS.
THERE IS NO ALLEGATION IN THIS
INDICTMENT THAT ANY AMERICAN WAS
A KNOWING PARTICIPANT IN THIS
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.
THERE IS NO ALLEGATION IN THE
INDICTMENT THAT THE CHARGE
CONDUCT ALTERED THE OUTCOME OF
THE 2016 ELECTION.
I WANT A CONTINUITY C
I WANT A CONTINUITY U
I WANT A CONTINUITY I
I WANT A CONTINUITY N
I WANT A CONTINUITY Y
I WANT A CONTINUITY U
I WANT A CONTINUITY T
I WANT A CONTINUITY A
I WANT A CONTINUITY T
EVERYONE CHARGED WITH A CRIME IS
ASSUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN
GUILTY IN COURT.
AT TRIAL PROSECUTORS MUST
PRODUCE CREDIBLE EVIDENCE TO
PROVE EACH DEFENDANT GUILTY
BEYOND ANY REASONABLE DOUBT TO A
UNANIMOUS JURY.
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL'S
INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.
THERE WILL BE NO COMMENTS FROM
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL AT THIS TIME
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL AT THIS TIM
TIME.
THIS INDICTMENT SERVES AS A
REMINDER THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT
ALWAYS WHO THEY APPEAR TO BE ON
THE INTERNET.
THE INDICTMENT ALLEGES THAT THE
RUSSIAN CONSPIRATORS WANT TO
PROMOTE DISCORD IN THE
UNITED STATES AND UNDERMINE
PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AND DEMOCRACY.
WE MUST NOT ALLOW THEM TO
SUCCEED.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WILL
CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OTHER LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE
AGENCIES AND WITH CONGRESS.
TO DEFEND OUR NATION AGAINST
SIMILAR CURRENT AND FUTURE.
I WANT TO THANK THE PROSECUTORS
WORKING ON ON THIS CASE FOR
THEIR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE AND
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE A FEW
QUESTIONS.
>> Reporter: IS THEIR CONCERN
THAT THIS WILL UNDERMINE THE
OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION?
>> THERE IS NO ALLEGATION IN THE
INDICTMENT, OF ANY EFFECT ON THE
OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.
>> Reporter: ON PAGE FOUR OF
THE INDICTMENT, PARAGRAPH SIX IT
TALKS ABOUT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN,
SAYING THAT DEFENDANTS
COMMUNICATED WITH UNWITTING
INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
TERM CAMPAIGN.
MY QUESTION IS LATER IN THE
INDICTMENT, CAMPAIGN OFFICIALS
ARE REFERENCED, NOT BY THEIR
NAME, BY CAMPAIGN OFFICIALS ONE,
TWO, THREE.
WERE CAMPAIGN OFFICIALS