>>> NEW THIS MORNING EXCLUSIVE REPORTING FROM NBC NEWS LINKING
A CHINESE SPIRITUAL GROUP,
FOOTING THE BILL FOR SOME OF THE
BIGGEST PRO TRUMP ADVERTISING ON
FACEBOOK.
FACEBOOK. THE EPOCH TIMES HAS SPENT MORE
THAN $1.5 MILLION ON 11,000 PRO
TRUMP ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE LAST
SIX MONTHS ALONE.
PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE.
THAT IS MORE THAN ANY
ORGANIZATION OUTSIDE THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN ITSELF, EVEN MORE THAN
MOST DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES HAVE SPENT ON THEIR
OWN CAMPAIGNS.
OWN CAMPAIGNS. JOINING ME NOW THE REPORTERS WHO
BROKE THIS EXTRAORDINARY STORY.
NBC’S BENECOLINS COLLINS.
>> HERE IS THE DEAL.
HERE IS THIS GROUP.
THEY RUN THIS THING CALLED
THEEPOCH TIMES.
THEEPOCH TIMES. IF YOU’RE OVER 50 ON FACEBOOK
YOU PROBABLY GOT ONE OF THESE
ADS.
ADS. IN FACT THEY SENT OUT PHYSICAL
MAILERS TALKING ABOUT DEEP STATE
AND HOW HILLARY CLINTON IS PART
OF A GROUP TAKING OVER THE
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE
AND THEIR END GOAL, THE
SPIRITUAL GROUP, IS TO BRING
ABOUT A JUDGMENT DAY THAT WILL
PIT COMMUNIST AND ANYONE WHO IS
SYMPATHETIC TO HIM TO HEAVEN.
THEY THINK DONALD TRUMP IS THE
GUY BRINGING THAT ABOUT.
>> WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT
THIS IS IN THE AGE OF TRUMP
WE’VE SEEN GRIFTERS POP UP
EVERYWHERE.
EVERYWHERE. >> WITH THIS KIND OF MONEY?
>> THIS IS THE THING.
IT LOOKS LIKE A REGULAR,
CONSERVATIVE OUTLET.
CONSERVATIVE OUTLET. IT KEEPS GETTING CRAZIER AND
CRAZIER THE REGULAR CONSERVATIVE
ECOSYSTEM.
ECOSYSTEM. WHEN YOU LOOK BEHIND IT, IT’S
NONPROFIT.
NONPROFIT. SO THERE ARE SEVERAL MEDIA ARMS.
ONE IS THE EPOCH TIMES WHICH IS
THIS, ONE IS NDTDE WHICH IS
THEIR TELEVISION PRODUCTION
COMPANY WHICH THEY MAKE TONS OF
WEIRD INTERVIEWS AND THEY DO
YOUTUBE SHOWS.
YOUTUBE SHOWS. THEN THE OTHER INCLUDE
ADVERTISEMENTS FOR A DANCE
TROUPE.
TROUPE. THISSAS LINED WITH THEM AS WELL.
THAT IS THEIR MEDIA ARM.
THEY REPRESENT EPOCH TIMES AS
THE NEW CONSERVATIVE PLAYER ON
THE BLOCK.
THE BLOCK. BUT REALLY THIS IS A DECADES OLD
MEDIA ARM OF AN ANTI-CHINESE
GOVERNMENT PROPAGANDA OUTLET.
>> WHAT DOES FACEBOOK HAVE TO
SAY ABOUT THIS?
SAY WE LOOKED AT A DIFFERENT
INDUSTRY, SAY INVESTMENT
BANKING, AND SOME FOREIGN
COMPANY THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW
CALLS UP AND SAYS, YES, I WANT
TO DO A MASSIVE TRANSACTION AND
PAY YOU MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
THE BANK HAS TO SAY WE’LL DO A
DEEP INVESTIGATION IN KNOW YOUR
CLIENT BEFORE I TAKE YOUR MONEY.
FACEBOOK?
FACEBOOK? >> IT IS A REALLY GOOD POINT.
WE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, TOO.
ALL OF THIS DARK MONEY, WE DON’T
EVEN KNOW HOW THEY’RE GETTING
THE MONEY, RIGHT?
WE INVESTIGATED THIS FOR FIVE
MONTHS.
MONTHS. WE STILL DON’T REALLY KNOW WHERE
THE MONEY IS COMING FROM.
>> WHAT DOES FACEBOOK SAY?
>> THEY DON’T HAVE AN ANSWER.
>> IF YOU HAVE MONEY IT’S
BECAUSE OF THE AD SPACE.
THEY REALLY REACT TO NEGATIVE
PRESS.
PRESS. IF WE SAY, LOOK.
THIS IS A VIOLATION OF YOUR
ADVERTISING POLICIES THEN
FACEBOOK WILL USUALLY BAT IT
DOWN.
DOWN. FACEBOOK HAS IF YOU LOOK AT
THEIR AD ARCHIVE, THEY HAVE
BATTED DOWN A LOT OF THE EPOCH
TIMES ADVERTISEMENTS BUT
GENERALLY OVER ALL THEY ACCEPT
PRETTY MUCH ANYBODY WILLING TO
COME TO THE TABLE WITH MONEY.
>> THE SHIFT BEGAN IN 2016 AND
WE’RE SEEING IT KICK UP AGAIN.
IS IT BECAUSE OF THE ELECTION?
>> DEFINITELY.
>> DEFINITELY. THIS IS NOT GOING TO STOP.
WHEN THERE ARE LARGE POLITICAL
MOMENTS THEY STEP UP.
IN FACT, AFTER THE MUELLER
REPORT DROPPED, THAT WEEK
AFTERWARDS, THEY WERE A TOP TEN
ADVERTISER ON ALL OF FACEBOOK.
NOT POLITICAL ADVERTISER BUT
ADVERTISER.
ADVERTISER. EXXON MOBILE WAS NEXT TO THEM ON
THIS LIST.
THIS LIST. >> IS THERE ANY ANYTHING WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN TEAM?
>> WHAT WE’RE GOING TO FIND IS
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN WILL ALIGN
ITSELF WITH WHOEVER IS GOING TO
PAY AND PUT EYEBALLS ON THEIR
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE. THE PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
HAD AN INTERVIEW IN TRUMP TOWER
REENTSLY.
REENTSLY. THEY WERE AT CPAC INTERVIEWING
EVERYBODY FROM CANDACE OWENS TO
SITTING CONGRESSMEN.
SITTING CONGRESSMEN. THEY ARE A BIG PLAYER ON THE
BLOCK AND NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IS
BEHIND IT.
BEHIND IT. >> THE PRESIDENT’S FACEBOOK PAGE
SHARED THEM SIX TIMES.
DONALD TRUMP JR. SHARED THEM A
COUPLE TIMES TOO.
THEY ARE INGRAINED INTO THAT
CAMPAIGN AND TRYING TO
INGRATIATE THEMSELVES INTO IT.
WE’LL SEE IF THAT ACTUALLY
HAPPENS.
HAPPENS. >> YOU SPOKE TO FORMER REPORTERS
THERE.
THERE. >> REALLY INTERESTING.
USUALLY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
WORKING THERE ARE JUST
VOLUNTEERS, PEOPLE WHO PRACTICE
THE RELIGION, THE SPIRITUAL
MOVEMENT, AND ALSO WORK FOR THE
PAPER.
PAPER. THAT IS PART OF THEIR
SPIRITUALITY.
SPIRITUALITY. IN 2015 THEY DID AN INTERESTING
THING AND DECIDED TO HIRE FROM
OUTSIDE.
OUTSIDE. THEY BROUGHT IN SEVEN NEW
REPORTERS THAT DIDN’T PRACTICE.
THEY PUT THEM IN A LOCKED ROOM
AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE
NEWSPAPER STAFF.
NEWSPAPER STAFF. THEY HAD THEM CHURN OUT
ARTICLES.
ARTICLES. ONE OF THE FORMER REPORTERS SAID
IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A RUSSIAN
TROLL FARM.