In a recent development, a video surfaced on the platform X, showing a man claiming to be a Haitian immigrant asserting that he had already voted for Vice President Harris in Gwinnett County, Georgia, and intended to vote again in Fulton County. The individual, appearing to be seated in a van alongside another person claiming to be a Haitian immigrant, purportedly stated that they had arrived in the United States six months ago and had since become American citizens.
State and federal authorities have indicated that this video is likely part of a Russian propaganda effort aimed at undermining trust in the electoral process. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger described the video as “obviously fake” and attributed it to Russian troll farms. Federal agencies, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, FBI, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, have concurred with this assessment, stating that the video is part of Moscow’s strategy to cast doubt on the integrity of U.S. elections and foment division among Americans.
This video is reportedly connected to an ongoing Russian operation, dubbed Storm-1516, which specializes in producing fake content during the election period. The operation has been traced back to the Russian “troll factory” responsible for influencing the 2016 presidential election. Recent investigations by Clemson University and Microsoft have linked this operation to similar misleading videos targeting various political figures and election-related narratives.
Darren Linvill, co-director of Clemson University’s Media Forensics Hub, noted the suspicious nature of the video based on its style and production quality. He explained that this tactic aligns with Russian efforts to exploit existing divisive narratives, particularly those concerning immigrant communities.
The account that initially shared the video on X has since removed it, citing uncertainty regarding its accuracy. Despite its removal, the video has continued to circulate on social media, prompting calls from Raffensperger to platform owner Elon Musk and others to take action against it.
Platforms such as Facebook are labeling the video to inform users of its suspect origins, while other accounts associated with similar content have faced suspension.
The video is part of a broader pattern of misinformation linked to the Internet Research Agency (IRA), a notorious Russian entity created by Yevgeny Prigozhin. Clemson and other sources have identified ties between Storm-1516 and other groups allegedly working under Russian influence, involving networks of websites masquerading as local news outlets. Some of these sites and operations are reportedly associated with John Mark Dougan, a former U.S. law enforcement officer now residing in Moscow.
Linvill emphasized that Storm-1516 has evolved its methods by leveraging real individuals to disseminate content, reflecting both a shift in Russian tactics and a growing susceptibility among Americans to falsehoods amid debates over election integrity.
With the upcoming election, officials in the United States are urging vigilance against foreign efforts to erode confidence in the electoral process. Linvill expects a continued stream of deceptive videos as Election Day approaches.
