美国有线新闻 CNN 因干涉总统大选 美起诉13名俄罗斯公民及3家企业

因干涉总统大选 美起诉13名俄罗斯公民及3家企业

We start today with a look at an international story concerning the U.S. and Russia. Late last week, an American federal grand jury formally charged 13 Russian citizens and three Russian companies with allegedly interfering 2 with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The Russians are accused of conspiracy 3 to defraud 4 the United States. Other charges for some of the dependents included conspiracy to commit bank fraud and identity theft.

Here's how this alleged 1 happen. The U.S. Justice Department says as early as 2014, a Russian organization named the Internet Research Agency started trying to interfere 5 with the U.S. political system and 2016 elections. The Russians are accused of posing as Americans, creating false American identities, operating social media pages to attract American audiences and posting critical information about American presidential candidates. The U.S. government says employees for the Internet Research Agency were told to, quote, use any opportunity to criticize Democratic presidential nominee 6 Hillary Clinton and the rest except for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump 7.

The U.S. government says that no Americans knowingly participated in the illegal activity. And President Donald Trump says the Russian campaign started before he announced his presidential candidacy and that the results of the election were not impacted. Other American politicians, including some Republicans and Democrats 8 in Congress said it's clear Russia interfered 9 with the election and that future U.S. elections would have to be better protected.

Russia's foreign ministry 11 described the charges as, quote, absurd. It's also said that not a single fact has come out of the U.S. investigation 12 into alleged Russian interference. But that investigation continues.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These 37 pages alleged Russians went a very long way in their attempt to interfere U.S. democracy.

According to the federal indictments 13, Russian operating out of this St. Petersburg troll farm launched a misinformation campaign to wreak 14 havoc 15 on America's political system.

ROD ROSENSTEIN, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: The Russians conspirators 16 want to promote discord 17 in the United States and undermine public confidence in democracy. We must not allow them to succeed.

SANDOVAL: Examples of the alleged misinformation campaign include allegations of voter fraud by the Democratic Party and the purchased of advertisements to further promote the allegations on Facebook. The pages were even designed to look like they were run by real Americans and focus on issues in American life, race relations, immigration, and of course, then candidate Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Facebook estimates close to 126 million Americans may have been exposed to this and other propaganda. Federal investigators 18 say the group behind it is the Internet Research Agency linked to the Kremlin. Russia has denied any involvement in the U.S. elections. In a security conference, Saturday, Russia's foreign minister again dismissed those claims.

SERGEY LAVROV, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF RUSSIA (through translation): I have no response. Until we see the facts, everything else is just blather.

SANDOVAL: Then there are the rallies. The very month of the election both pro 10 and anti-Trump demonstrations 19 were held in New York. U.S. prosecutors 20 say both events were organized by the same trail group half a world away in St. Petersburg.

Russians traveled to the U.S. on a fact-finding mission in 2014, say prosecutors. It would be the foundation of a massive operation brought to light in recent months and described in detail in these 37 pages.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.