Right-wing influencers say they were dupes in an alleged Russian influence operation. They’re keeping their millions, for now
What’s the rule for keeping money from your crimes?
If it’s an actual crime then you lose the cash. But it has to be proven in a court room. So yeah…
civil forfeiture noises
Sadly true
In this case, the streamers themselves might not be guilty. The crime is being a foreign agent paying the media without being registered. That's on the foreign agents, not the streamers.
That still might mean they don't get to keep the money, but it can also be useful to prosecutors to let it slide. It's a classic move to give the lower level guys a pass to flip them against the higher level guys. Keep working your way up until you, hopefully, get the leader, or someone close, anyway.
Right-wing influencers say they were dupes
It’s good they’re admitting they’re just a bunch of useful idiots, that’s the first step in getting better. They want to get better, right?
Padme stare
"We didn't know who was giving us money to lie! What's the problem?"
So their explanation is that they were too stupid to figure out why they were being given ridiculous amounts of money?
They're not sending their best.
In an interview following the indictment, Pool insisted the amount he was paid — $100,000 per video — was “around market value for offers we had already received,” and described it as “inconsequential” to his lifestyle.
Bullshit. They don't have enough reach to hit these numbers. There's no way they could get offered this much money and not wonder how they got so lucky. I mean, I realize the MAGA people have wildly distorted views of the world, but you'd have to be completely stupid not to think this was an incredible situation and highly unlikely.
They knew, we knew, so they knew....
I just imagine Pim Toole grabbing the cash with his eyes closed as Lauren slides it across the table.
We were duped, but we want to keep our thirty pieces of silver too.
"I was under the imperio curse I swear!"
Duped into giving someone money, sure. Duped into receiving millions in exchange for creating media content that spreads misinformation... Not so sure about that.