Experts say the case offers a window into how the Russian government tries to influence American elections and promote its own geopolitical agenda.
Omali Yeshitela is one of four Americans who have pleaded not guilty to conspiring on behalf of Russia. “We’re just a vehicle that’s being used to assault free speech,” he said in an interview.Credit…Octavio Jones for The New York Times
An unusual trial scheduled to begin on Tuesday in Tampa, Fla., involves obscure candidates for local office, activist groups far outside the political mainstream and relatively little money changing hands.
But experts say it offers a rare glimpse into how Russia has tried for decades to secretly influence American politics.
Prosecutors say that Russia, in relatively low-tech fashion, sought out a sympathetic group in the United States, invited its leader to visit Moscow and established a long-term relationship through calls, email and electronic messages. The group, which has long had a presence in St. Petersburg, Fla., then promoted Russian views on its website, social media accounts and radio station. One post argued that Russian athletes should be allowed to participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Four Americans face charges that they conspired to have other U.S. citizens act as illegal agents of the Russian government, or that they acted as unregistered Russian agents themselves. The prosecutors say that Russians directed them — and in some cases, paid them — to push Russian propaganda, including after their country invaded Ukraine in 2022.