Liberal lawmakers are calling for a committee investigation into Canada’s ties to U.S. allegations that Russia used state-run media, unwitting influencers and websites to spread disinformation.
Last week, the Department of Justice unsealed indictments against two Russian nationals for setting up conservative media outlets as fronts for pro-Kremlin propaganda.
The Tennessee-based media outlet is not named in the indictment, but details in court documents match those of Tenet Media, a company founded by Canadian far-right commentator Lauren Cheng and her husband, Liam Donovan.
On Tuesday, several Liberal lawmakers called an emergency meeting of the House of Commons Public Safety and National Security Committee to call for an investigation to be launched.
“The U.S. Department of Justice’s allegations of Russian foreign interference are not merely a matter of concern, but a serious threat to Canada’s national security and the integrity of our democracy,” said the letter, signed by all five Liberal MPs on the committee.
“This demands an immediate and strong response to protect the integrity of our democracy.”
Last week, it was revealed that Russia is using a Canadian company to spread far-right Russian propaganda.
Our democracy is at stake, and Canadians deserve answers.
That is why we are calling on all political parties to support the convening of an emergency meeting. pic.twitter.com/L9UBmGNzIN
The company describes itself as “a network of unorthodox commentators focused on Western political and cultural issues,” according to the indictment, which matches verbatim the description on Tenet Media’s homepage. The indictment also states the company was incorporated on January 19, 2022, which matches public records from the Tennessee Secretary of State.
Among its hires last year was Lauren Southern, a longtime friend and occasional collaborator of Cheng’s, a Canadian far-right influencer with a huge social media following.
The lawmakers’ letter calls for Chen, Donovan and Southern to be summoned to testify before the committee.
The U.S. indictment also includes more than a dozen references to another Canadian company owned by Chen and Donovan that was used as a vehicle to receive money from the Russian state-run news agency RT.
Washington has released documents exposing ties to Canadian far-right influencer Lauren Cheng and her husband, Liam Donovan, and accused Moscow of running a covert propaganda campaign to interfere in the 2024 US presidential election.
A CBC News investigation found that a federally registered corporation with ties to Chen and Donovan, Roaming Millennial Inc., had an address in Montreal until last November.
Roaming Millennial was Chen’s username on YouTube and Instagram when he first began working as a content creator.
Roaming USA Corp. is the name of the legal entity that operates Tenet Media.
Chen, Donovan and Southern are not facing criminal charges and are not named in the indictment.
Two Russians named in the U.S. indictment, Kostyantin Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, remain at large.
Last week, Public Security Minister Dominic Leblanc said the government was cooperating with the United States “on this important issue.”
“Canadians who unlawfully support Russia’s relentless attempts to use disinformation, criminal and covert activities and corruption to undermine our sovereignty and democratic processes will face the full force of Canadian law,” he said in a media statement.
