Russian disinformation groups likely promoting false claims about Tim Walz

Russian disinformation groups apt orchestrated baseless claims targeting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, falsely accusing nan vice statesmanlike campaigner of sexually assaulting his students while he was a precocious schoolhouse teacher, according to assessments by nan U.S. intelligence community, independent researchers and a CBS News analysis. 

At slightest 4 abstracted claims person dispersed since early October, racking up millions of views connected societal media platforms including X, owned by Elon Musk. Darren Linvill, co-director of nan Media Forensics Hub astatine Clemson University, said astatine slightest 2 of nan claims look to beryllium straight linked to Storm-1516, a Kremlin-aligned troll farm. 

A Tuesday report from nan Office of nan Director of National Intelligence says nan intelligence organization recovered Russian disinformation groups were down caller "manufactured and amplified inauthentic contented claiming forbidden activity" targeting Walz's earlier career.

The claims

The first declare emerged connected Oct. 5 during a Rumble livestream, wherever an anonymous man said Walz abused him erstwhile he was a Future Leaders Exchange, aliases FLEX, Program student successful Minnesota from 2004 to 2005. The man, whose sound appears altered, was interviewed by John Mark Dougan, a erstwhile Florida sheriff's lawman surviving successful Russia pinch alleged ties to disinformation campaigns. 

This was nan first motion that nan declare was created by Russian disinformation groups, Linvill said. 

"To person [Dougan] retired location being interviewed connected this communicative is fundamentally a neon motion saying that possibly it's connected to Russia. Not only do I deliberation Russia is down these stories, I deliberation Russia wants america to cognize that they're down these stories," he said.

Both nan U.S. State Department and FLEX told CBS News they person nary grounds "of immoderate FLEX student from Kazakhstan successful Mankato area schools from 2000 done 2020." Mel Helling, nan communications head for Mankato Area Public Schools, told CBS News they person nary grounds of nan allegations. NewsGuard first reported nan claim.

When contacted by CBS News, Dougan claimed he has nan alleged victim's U.S. visa and nan FLEX Program certificate. CBS News reviewed nan documents and recovered respective inconsistencies: The day of commencement connected nan visa does not lucifer nan property nan alleged unfortunate stated successful nan livestream and nan certificate has an incorrect logo connected it.

The claims were picked up by different accounts that are not linked to Russian disinformation. On Oct. 12, an X relationship credited arsenic Matt Wallace posted a Rumble video wherever he claimed without grounds that Walz whitethorn person acted inappropriately pinch nan students during trips to China. The video was later removed and nan personification did not respond to a petition for comment. 

A 3rd declare surfaced connected Oct. 13 erstwhile an X relationship dubbed "Black Insurrectionist" posted grainy screenshots of expected emails alleging Walz's misconduct pinch a insignificant astatine a performance successful 1995. 

The expected emails appeared manipulated. Among nan clues was a comma successful nan date-time stamp that is not typically recovered successful emails. "Black Insurrectionist" later deleted their account. Researchers person not linked this relationship to Russian disinformation. 

On Oct. 16, different declare circulated erstwhile a man purporting to beryllium Matthew Metro, a erstwhile Mankato West High School student, posted a video alleging Walz sexually assaulted him successful 1997. 

However, The Washington Post and AFP reported that a man named Matthew Metro did be nan schoolhouse but nan personification successful nan video is not him. The Post interviewed Metro, who said he ne'er met Walz.

Hany Farid, a professor astatine University of California, Berkeley, who specializes successful manipulated media, said he believes nan video was not created utilizing AI; rather, he believes it is simply a "cheap fake," successful which a man is impersonating personification else. 

A disinformation pattern

The video resembles nan activity of Storm-1516, Linvill said. The disinformation group antecedently promoted a mendacious declare that Vice President Kamala Harris was progressive successful a hit-and-run incident, according to a study by Microsoft.

"Suggestions of intersexual deviance successful various forms are a favourite taxable of Storm-1516," said Linvill. "This run has precocious turned from a attraction chiefly connected nan warfare successful Ukraine to much predominant targeting of nan Harris-Walz campaign."

Linvill said versions of nan Walz allegations look to beryllium a Storm-1516 "narrative laundering campaign," a process of presenting mendacious claims successful a measurement that makes them look credible. This often includes presenting nan claims done a personification who claims to beryllium a victim. 

CBS News reached retired to X and Rumble for remark but has not heard backmost arsenic of publication.