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Tim Pool, Dave Rubin and Benny Johnson addressed allegations that a company they were associated with had been paid to publish videos with messages in favour of Russia

A number of high-profile, conservative influencers in the US have said they are “victims” of an alleged Russian disinformation campaign, after the Biden administration accused Moscow of carrying out a sustained campaign to influence the outcome of November’s presidential elections.

Tim Pool, Dave Rubin and Benny Johnson published statements on Wednesday evening addressing allegations that a US content creation company they were associated with had been provided with nearly $10m from Russian state media employees to publish videos with messages in favour of Moscow’s interests and agenda, including over the war in Ukraine.

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[–] just_another_person 122 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

HAHAHAHAHAHA

"We didn't know where the money came from?!?! Why would we ever ask why they wanted us to say Russia is super cool???"

I'm positive most, it not all of these other right-wing media shitheads like Tucker Carlson, NewsMax hosts, Bannon...etc have all received dirty Russian money, and they know it.

We need this all to be brought out in the open ASAP.

[–] CaptainSpaceman 59 points 1 month ago (1 children)

"I was just following orders"

"I was under the imperius curse!"

[–] homesweethomeMrL 15 points 1 month ago (1 children)

“It was the beat! The beat got to me!!”

[–] CaptainSpaceman 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)
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[–] themeatbridge 88 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Things that are objectively true:

They parroted pro-Putin talking points.

They were paid by Russia.

They claim to be victims of a Russian smear campaign.

How does that even work?

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

I guess according to the allegations only the founders of Tenet Media or whatever it was called knew the money was coming from Russia and they hid it from the talking heads.

But like... How much money do these people have to be getting paid before they have a thought to question where it's coming from? Dim Tool was apparently getting like $100k a WEEK from them. Like at what point does it start to get suspicious?

Edit: I was misremembering. Apparently it was $100k a week so that's $400k a month.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

100k/month to post pro Russian videos. The company was giving them talking points.

Tim pool weasely claims he has full editorial control, but doesn't say how much of their editorial direction he "decided" to take, and how often.

[–] SkyezOpen 14 points 1 month ago

It's better if he just admits to being a Russian shill. He recently called Ukraine an enemy and said that the US should apologize to Russia. If he's saying that shit of his own accord, that's WORSE.

[–] ATDA 10 points 1 month ago

100k a month?! God damnit that's it I'm getting Soros on the phone he owes me way more than the zero he's paid me this far!

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

$100k a MONTH

Wasn't it 100k a week

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Oh yeah you're right. I just looked it back up and this article says one of the commentators was getting $400k a month, a $100k signing bonus, and additional performance based payment in exchange for I guess 4 videos a week.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

the grift pays.. holy shit.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago

Well you see they thought they were pushing Russian propaganda out of the goodness of their hearts. Turns out they could have been paid to do so and are now victims because someone else was paid to do it while they did it for free.

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[–] [email protected] 66 points 1 month ago

Russian assets deny being Russian assets. Cool beans, ya fuckin’ traitors.

[–] [email protected] 61 points 1 month ago (1 children)

"Conservatives admit that they were easily manipulated by Russia"

[–] WhatYouNeed 5 points 1 month ago

Conservatives working with the commies.

[–] RattlerSix 54 points 1 month ago

Nobody being paid $400,000 per month is a victim. "Accomplice" is the word.

[–] bostonbananarama 52 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I believe they're confusing the term victim with the word volunteer.

[–] IphtashuFitz 11 points 1 month ago

unindicted co-conspirators?

[–] Doomsider 48 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Well, if being a victim means 400k a month going into my pocket I can only say where do I sign up!

Seriously though. It is obvious getting paid around $2,500 an hour is pretty fucking suspicious. They definitely knew they were engaging in fraudulent behavior.

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[–] vxx 32 points 1 month ago (3 children)

If you rob a bank and get shot by police, are you a victim of a bank robbery?

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[–] ansiz 31 points 1 month ago

"I don't come up with this stuff. I just forward it along. You wouldn't arrest a guy who's just delivering drugs from one guy to another."

I'm waiting for one of them to pull out the Michael Scott defense!

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This is IMPOSSIBLE because Republicans are KNOWN to do their Own Research!

[–] Carrolade 6 points 1 month ago

Very underrated comment, that one got a snort out of me. lol

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 month ago

“Okay it happened, but I didn’t know about it”

Next I assume will be

“Okay it happened and I did know about it, but it’s too late to do anything about it so it doesn’t matter”

[–] 58008 29 points 1 month ago

I'll accept that they were victims if they henceforth renounce the stupid shit they've spouted for the last decade.

If I'm behaving in a certain way that makes me attractive to cartoonishly evil Putinesque cunts, I don't care how benign the behaviour is, I'm not doing it anymore. If as a result of these revelations, Tim Pool et al. dial down their divisive nonsense, even if it's only by 10%, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

I'm not holding my breath, though.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Tim Pool mugshot wo that stupid fucking beanie, pls, pls, pls 😬

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Male pattern baldness.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I'd love to see him sporting an orange beanie to match his jumpsuit.

[–] inb4_FoundTheVegan 27 points 1 month ago

I took the rubles and made the content! That makes me the victim!

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 month ago

Sounds like treason to me.

[–] eran_morad 19 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Fucking idiots. How the hell are they unable to see that they’re just useful idiots???

[–] homesweethomeMrL 17 points 1 month ago

The Cult is good. Life depends on The Cult. Enemies of The Cult are everywhere. Your grandfather loved The Cult. Let’s all enjoy some information from The Cult.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 month ago

They were victims of getting rich by knowingly spouting Russian talking points. Even if they weren't sure the money was coming from Peter Thiel or Vladimir Putin, that's what they were doing.

[–] Ensign_Crab 13 points 1 month ago
[–] Viking_Hippie 10 points 1 month ago

These clowns are victims of pro-Russian disinformation in the same way that David Berkowitz is a murder victim.

[–] Riccosuave 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)
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[–] RememberTheApollo_ 7 points 1 month ago

The equivalent of “my wife did it.”

They say this shit all the time. They don’t accept responsibility for anything they do.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Waterboard them for the truth.

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[–] MediaSensationalism 7 points 1 month ago

I've been studying the propaganda of Tim Pool for years and years. The content focus shift from the alarmist "we're all progressives, but these progressives have taken it too far and we need to reel it in" to "Democrats are all evil incarnate and we need to vote Republican to save the world" was a deliberate and calculated long-term conversion campaign beyond what I'd expect someone with Tim Pool's resources should have been able to strategize and execute.

It won't surprise me if the DOJ decides to push charges for unregistered foreign agents, but it could also backfire with such high profile figures by playing into censorship rhetoric. Election season would be the worst time for it, if at all.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

How dare they be manipulated to shill for russia with less than adequate bribery!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

They weren't victims of anything.

These were co-conspirators, and they won't know true victimhood until the hands of the American people wrap around their throats.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

How are they not in prison awaiting trial yet

[–] Sam_Bass 5 points 1 month ago

Hasnt shut them up though

[–] Treczoks 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Yea, "victims". Hand me some soap so I can cry.

[–] MediaSensationalism 2 points 1 month ago

Soap's not the best for that sort of thing.

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[–] CharlesDarwin 2 points 1 month ago

Yeah. Victims.

[–] FringeTheory999 2 points 1 month ago

An unwitting psy-op asset is the best kind of psy-op asset. What Putin famously called, useful idiots.

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