Cristina Mutchler
US Intelligence Head: Russian Meddling Is A Global Problem
Russia's election interference isn't just a U.S. problem — democracies in Europe are facing disinformation threats, too.
LEARN MOREFebruary 16, 2018
Special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian groups Friday as part of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
In the indictment, Mueller accused the Russians of breaking criminal laws to meddle in U.S. elections.
All the defendants have been charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Some also face wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges.
According to the indictment, the defendants started engaging in U.S. political activity in 2014 while pretending to be American citizens.
They're accused of creating fake social media accounts, posting "derogatory information" about presidential candidates and buying political ads on online platforms.
The court document also says the defendants planned political rallies in the U.S. for Donald Trump as well as Hillary Clinton.
During an announcement about the indictment, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said there's no allegation in the document that any Americans had knowledge of the interference or that it affected the outcome of the presidential election.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
