The Department of State is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information about foreign nationals who are “engaging in interference in U.S. elections” as well as tips leading to “the prevention, frustration, or favorable resolution” of attempted foreign election meddling.
The offer was made by the Department’s Rewards for Justice program and singles out Rybar LLC, a Russian media organization that it states is seeking to “encourage hate and violence in the United States” ahead of the 2024 presidential election on November 5.
Alleged Russian election interference became a major issue in American politics following the 2016 presidential election. A declassified intelligence assessment from the CIA, FBI and NSA said this was likely ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin with the Kremlin showing “a clear preference for President-elect Trump.” A major investigation conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller “did not establish” that the Trump campaign actively collaborated with the Russian state’s effort to influence the 2016 contest.
The Rewards for Justice website states the offer of up to $10 million is for “information leading to the identification or location of any foreign person, including a foreign entity, who knowingly engaged or is engaging in interference in U.S. elections, as well as information leading to the prevention, frustration, or favorable resolution of an act of foreign election interference.”
It states that Rybar, which it alleges is funded by Russian defense company Rostec, is seeking “to sow discord, promote social division, stoke partisan and racial discord, and encourage hate and violence in the United States.”
Newsweek contacted Rostec and the Department of State for comment, via email and online press inquiry form respectively, on Saturday outside of regular business hours.
NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/GETTY
According to Rewards for Justice, Rybar was founded by Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, who also founded the Wagner Group, a private military company that played a significant role in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
On June 23-24, 2023, Prigozhin and thousands of his soldiers staged an armed rebellion, seizing the city of Rostov-on-Don and advancing around halfway from the Ukrainian border to Moscow before he called a halt. In August 2023, Prigozhin, along with other Wagner Group leaders, was killed in a plane crash in Russia’s Tver Oblast. Citing western officials, The New York Times reported the aircraft was likely brought down by an explosion.
Rewards for Justice alleged Rybar operated the social media channels #HOLDTHELINE and #STANDWTHTEXAS.
On its Russian language Telegram, where it has more than 1.3 million subscribers, Rybar said its project head Mikhail Zvinchuk had voluntarily provided Rewards for Justice with its address and is thus entitled to the reward.
In September, the Justice Department released an indictment targeting two individuals and alleged that Russian state media employees paid a U.S. media outlet, which hosted the work of conservative-leaning commentators Tim Pool and Dave Rubin, $10 million in a bid to promote Kremlin talking points. Pool and Rubin both insisted they were victims of the scheme and said they had no knowledge that the outlet they were working with was backed by the Russian state.