In September, while Trump was still president, the Treasury Department
sanctioned Derkach — an “active Russian agent” — for attempting to influence the 2020 presidential election. The DNI report released this week is focused on ways in which foreign countries, chief among them Russia, sought to reshape the election and articulates Derkach’s alleged role to that end.
“A key element of Moscow's strategy this election cycle was its use of people linked to Russian intelligence to launder influence narratives — including misleading or unsubstantiated allegations against President Biden — through US media organizations, US officials, and prominent US individuals, some of whom were close to former President Trump and his administration,” the report reads. This effort was directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, it continues, who “had purview over the activities of Andriy Derkach, a Ukrainian legislator who played a prominent role in Russia's election influence activities.”
The main thrust of the interference, the report continues, was to imply wrongdoing by Biden, the administration of Barack Obama and Ukraine. It involved not only Derkach but Konstantin Kilimnik, a former Manafort employee who was charged by former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III for his role in Russia’s 2016 interference efforts. (Trump pardoned Manafort shortly before Christmas.)
“Derkach, Kilimnik, and their associates sought to use prominent US persons and media conduits to launder their narratives to US officials and audiences,” the report states. “These Russian proxies met with and provided materials to Trump administration-linked US persons to advocate for formal investigations; hired a US firm to petition US officials; and attempted to make contact with several senior US officials. They also made contact with established US media figures and helped produce a documentary that aired on a US television network in late January 2020.”