US intelligence officials confirm that Russia is actively targeting Walz with a viral disinformation campaign

Groups in Russia created and helped spread viral disinformation against Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, a senior U.S. intelligence official said in October.

The content, which includes unsubstantiated allegations about the Minnesota governor's time as a teacher, contains several indications that it was manipulated, the official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said.

Analysts have found evidence linking the content to Russian disinformation operations, said the official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under rules set by the director's office.

Digital researchers had previously linked the video to Russia, but the announcement is the first time federal authorities have confirmed the connection.

The disinformation targeting Walz is consistent with Russian disinformation aimed at undermining the Democratic campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz, her running mate. Russia has also spread disinformation to stoke discord and division ahead of the vote, officials said, and may be trying to encourage violent protests after Election Day.

In September, Microsoft analysts revealed that a viral video that baselessly claimed that Harris left a woman paralyzed in a hit-and-run accident 13 years ago was Russian disinformation. A video recently surfaced showing a man claiming to be a former student of Walz who had accused the candidate of sexual misconduct years ago. Private researchers from companies that track disinformation, including NewsGuard, have already concluded that the video was fake and that the man in the footage is not who he claimed to be.

The Associated Press contacted a former employer of the man whose identity was used in the video. The employer, Viktor Yeliohin, confirmed that the man shown in the video was a fraudster.

Some researchers have also suggested that the video may contain evidence that it was created using artificial intelligence, but federal officials did not reach the same conclusion, saying only that the video contained several indications of manipulation.

China and Iran also tried to influence the US election through online disinformation. While Russia has targeted the Democratic election campaign, Iran is using disinformation and hacking to target the former president's campaign against Republican Donald Trump. Meanwhile, China has focused its influence efforts on electoral votes and broader efforts to sow distrust and democratic discontent.

There is no indication that Russia, China or Iran are planning significant attacks on election infrastructure to disrupt the result, officials said.

Jen Easterly, director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said improvements in election security mean no other foreign adversary can change the results.