Ottawa –
Lawmakers on the Public Safety and National Security Committee voted unanimously to open an investigation into alleged Russian efforts to trick right-wing influencers into sowing division among Americans.
A U.S. indictment filed earlier this month accused two employees of Russian state media outlet RT of participating in a $10 million scheme to use social media celebrities to distribute content with Russian government messaging.
Though not explicitly stated in court documents, the details are consistent with Tenet Media, founded by Canadian Lauren Chen and Liam Donovan, who is identified on social media as her husband.
The committee plans to summon Cheng, Donovan and Tenet star Lauren Southern to testify about the case.
The motion, introduced by Liberal MP Pam Damoff and passed on Thursday, also calls for inviting representatives from private sector organisations and disinformation experts to speak on the issue.
According to court documents, the Russians created fake investors who provided funds to social media companies to hire influencers and paid large fees to founders through Canadian corporate accounts and other channels.
The Department of Justice has not alleged any wrongdoing by the influencers.
Following the indictment, YouTube removed several channels linked to Chen, including Tenet Media channels.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
