US Democrats warn of Russian misinformation targeting midterm candidates

Democratic lawmakers in the United States say they have received a classified intelligence briefing alleging that Russia is running a misinformation campaign against their candidates ahead of next month's midterm elections. Senator Mark Warner and Representative Jim Himes said the briefing was requested from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and that they were limited in what they could disclose because the material remains classified. They said the alleged effort includes online falsehoods and AI-generated fake advertisements aimed at specific races.

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Warner said reports indicated that Democrat James Talarico, who is running for the US Senate in Texas, and Senator Jon Ossoff, who is seeking re-election in Georgia, were among those being targeted. Himes said the pair could not provide details of the material they had seen, but described the alleged Russian activity as familiar and broad in scope. He said the campaign appeared designed to spread confusion and distrust, including messages suggesting people should not trust voting machines.

The lawmakers said the alleged tactics were similar to those the US intelligence community has tracked in previous election cycles, including in 2016, 2020 and 2024. They did not provide evidence publicly beyond the classified briefing, and the Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Moscow has denied meddling in US elections in the past, while Beijing has also denied similar allegations in other contexts.

The claims come at a politically sensitive moment in Washington, where control of Congress is at stake in the midterms. Democrats are hoping to improve their position in the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate, and the allegations add another layer of concern about election security. The issue is also unfolding against a broader backdrop of tensions over Russia's war in Ukraine and the Trump administration's recent easing of economic sanctions on Moscow.

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Election interference has been a recurring concern in the United States for years, with intelligence agencies and lawmakers repeatedly warning about foreign attempts to shape public opinion. The latest allegations focus on the use of artificial intelligence, which can make false political material faster and harder to trace. That raises questions about how campaigns, platforms and federal agencies can respond before voting begins.

What remains unclear is the scale of the alleged operation, how widely the material has spread, and whether it has had any measurable effect on voters. The lawmakers said they could not share further details because of the classified nature of the briefing. The next developments to watch are whether intelligence officials provide any public assessment, whether campaigns identify more targeted races, and whether federal authorities issue new warnings before election day.

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