Blaze Fires Contributor Linked to Alleged Russian Campaign
Blaze Media, a conservative media company, has cut ties with YouTube contributor Lauren Chen after she was linked to an alleged Russian influence operation which was exposed by the U.S. Department of Justice this week.
An indictment filed Wednesday by the DOJ alleges that a group of right-wing influencers — including Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Benny Johnson — was being secretly funded by Russian state media employees, to provide content that was aligned with the Kremlin’s political interests in the U.S.
“Lauren Chen was an independent contractor, whose contract has been terminated,” Blaze Media CEO told Semafor on Thursday.
Chen and her husband, Liam Donovan, cofounded Tenet Media, which was seemingly connected to the funneling of funds from Russian sources, paying influencers massive sums for content that included Russian propaganda talking points, according to the indictment.
