Just weeks after Trump supporter Douglas Mackey was convicted of “election inference” for posting memes on Twitter, the DOJ has now charged four black national leftists for spreading Russian “propaganda” in memes, articles and speeches.
The DOJ has charged four US citizens who have been linked to far-left black nationalist groups and three Russian nationals for “sowing discord, spreading pro-Russia propaganda and interfering in elections within the United States.”
In the indictment, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen stated “Russia’s foreign intelligence service allegedly weaponized our First Amendment rights.”
The indictment went quietly under the radar but caught the attention of long time journalist Glenn Greenwald.
This is an absolutely remarkable – and chilling – indictment. Several American black leftist groups and activists are being charged with felonies for posting memes and other political content against the war in Ukraine, protesting racial injustice: allegedly on behalf of Russia: https://t.co/SQ1K1VZG1v
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 19, 2023
Greenwald took to Twitter and questioned why Democrats and liberals are silent about the DOJ’s clear attack on the First Amendment.
I was just on Tucker Carlson's program discussing my reporting on this, and he vehemently condemned DOJ's prosecution of these 4 black American radical leftists.
Earlier today I was on Glenn Beck's show where he urged his listeners to denounce it.
Why aren't Dems and liberals? https://t.co/CGkYiywDiA
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 21, 2023
Tucker Carlson later invited Greenwald on his show and Greenwald shared the Biden admin’s goal is to ‘launch a domestic war on terror, and to take take all the tactics we used against Al Qaeda and direct new attacks on anti-establishment dissidents.’
Tucker himself was baffled about the DOJ’s blatant attack on the 1st Amendment and stated being “pro-Russia” or “saying things the government doesn’t like is not a crime.”
Here’s an excerpt of the DOJ’s indictment:
A federal grand jury in Tampa, Florida, returned a superseding indictment charging four U.S. citizens and three Russian nationals with working on behalf of the Russian government and in conjunction with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to conduct a multi-year foreign malign influence campaign in the United States. Among other conduct, the superseding indictment alleges that the Russian defendants recruited, funded and directed U.S. political groups to act as unregistered illegal agents of the Russian government and sow discord and spread pro-Russian propaganda; the indicted intelligence officers, in particular, participated in covertly funding and directing candidates for local office within the United States.
Additionally, in a separate case out of the District of Columbia, a criminal complaint was unsealed charging Russian national Natalia Burlinova with conspiring with an FSB officer to act as an illegal agent of Russia in the United States.
“Russia’s foreign intelligence service allegedly weaponized our First Amendment rights – freedoms Russia denies its own citizens – to divide Americans and interfere in elections in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The department will not hesitate to expose and prosecute those who sow discord and corrupt U.S. elections in service of hostile foreign interests, regardless of whether the culprits are U.S. citizens or foreign individuals abroad.”
The four US citizens arrested were Omali Yeshitela, Penny Joanne Hess, Jesse Nevel, and Augustus C. Romain Jr.
Here was Omali Yeshitela condemning the war in Russia:
Here's one of the leaders of one of the groups who is now indicted, Omali Yeshitela of @_InPDUM, speaking at a "Peace in Ukraine" rally last month.
Criminalizing speech is becoming increasingly common by claiming the speech serves Russia's interests:https://t.co/i9kmkLYykr
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 19, 2023
The DOJ’s latest move has made it clear they aren’t just after MAGA Republicans but they are after everyone who rises up against the establishment.
Those who previously celebrated the arrest of conservatives are in for a rude awakening because the DOJ is out to silence all free speech that doesn’t reflect their agenda.
