### Russian Propaganda Unit Behind False Claims Against Tim Walz, Experts Say

A Russian-aligned network known for producing deepfake videos and other misinformation is believed to be responsible for spreading false accusations of sexual abuse against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, according to specialists monitoring the disinformation campaign. The network, identified as Storm-1516, has previously been implicated in similar operations, including a fabricated story accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of a hit-and-run incident in San Francisco in 2011.

Storm-1516 has a history of creating fake whistleblower videos to promote Kremlin narratives in the West. Their latest campaign targets Tim Walz, who is also a vice presidential candidate, with unsubstantiated claims that he sexually assaulted a former student. Experts say this disinformation effort is part of a broader strategy by the Russian government to interfere with the upcoming election, aiming to boost former President Donald Trump's chances of reclaiming the White House.

The baseless accusations have been propagated by several high-profile figures associated with the MAGA movement. Jack Posobiec, known for promoting the debunked Pizzagate conspiracy, and right-wing podcaster Candace Owens are among those amplifying the false claims. The rumors gained traction on the social media platform X, where an anonymous user known as Black Insurrectionist posted screenshots of allegedly incriminating emails, which were quickly debunked due to formatting errors.

Despite being discredited, another conspiracist uploaded a video on X claiming to have spoken to one of Walz’s supposed victims. This video, devoid of any verifiable evidence, garnered millions of views. Subsequently, another video appeared, featuring a person purportedly describing abuse by Walz. An analysis by WIRED, using several deepfake detection tools, confirmed that the video was created using artificial intelligence. This deepfake video was shared by a prominent anonymous QAnon-affiliated account and received over 4.3 million views before being taken down.

The campaign to smear Walz appears to have originated with John Dougan, a former Florida police officer now residing in Moscow, where he manages a series of pro-Kremlin websites. On October 5, Dougan appeared on Zak Paine’s QAnon show RedPill78, featuring an anonymous man named “Rick” who alleged that he was assaulted by Walz in 2004 when he was a foreign exchange student at Mankato West High School. Dougan has not responded to requests for comment.