On Wednesday, conservative influencers and commentators Tim Pool, Benny Johnson and Dave Rubin all took to Twitter / X to clarify that they had no idea they were being funded by Russian media and were acting as unwitting puppets of a government that's interested in destabilizing the American populace and bringing support to Russian interests.

Obviously, that is a sentence that needs some context, so let's break down just what is going on with the Tenet Media Russian Operation Indictment and why the controversy is generating so much discourse online this week.

What Is The Tenet Media Indictment?

On Wednesday, September 4th, U.S. prosecutors charged Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva with conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

The indictment alleges that the pair, who work for Russian media outlet Russia Today (RT), had run a covert operation and set up a shell company in America to funnel money to conservative media influencers, amplify their voices and promote talking points in line with Russian interests.

While the shell company is not named in the indictment, it is clear through the language in the document that they are referring to Tenet Media, a brand that boasts a talent roster of Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, Benny Johnson, Matt Christiansen, Lauren Southern and Taylor Hansen, all of whom are conservative media influencers with significant followings.

The company was founded by Liam Donovan and his wife, Lauren Chen, who are alleged to have said in private that they knew their company was funded by "The Russians."

Afanasyeva appears to have had a hands-on role in shaping the content of Tenet Media acting as an "outside editor." The indictment alleges that at one point, Afansyeva was not thrilled with the content, and created multiple fake Discord accounts to suggest in the talent's group chats that they cover accounts aligning with Russian interests.

What Has The Talent Said About Their Relationship With Tenet Media?

Johnson, Pool and Rubin have all denied knowing that Russian forces operated Tenet Media, claiming they were victims of a crime. Pool's denial went a step further, saying he felt he always had creative control over his content.

However, social media wasn't convinced Pool wasn't being manipulated by the "Tenet Media" scheme. In one clip that circulated on social media, one can see Pool ranting that Ukraine, which is currently at war with Russia, is the "enemy of America."

Tim Pool (@timcast): outed as a Russian propagandist. Tim was being paid $100,000 a week by Tenet Media. TM took millions in Kremlin cash as part of “a scheme to create and distribute content to U.S. audiences with hidden Russian government messaging"). Don't lie Tim, you knew. pic.twitter.com/I3HjxAIbdt

— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) September 5, 2024

Others noted that Tim Pool has repeatedly claimed America is on the brink of a "civil war," implying that that sort of alarmist rhetoric would be something the Russians would like.

It's unclear what legal trouble the Tenet Media talent are in if they were truly unaware they were being funded by Russian operatives, if any.

Still, social media has found it funny – if not shocking – that some of the internet's most prominent conservative influencers were reportedly being puppeteered by enemies of the state.

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For the full history of the Tenet Media Indictment, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.