https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/russia-connected-group-pushes-fake-documents-aimed-political-flashpoints-researchers-n1178996
Russia-connected group pushed fake documents aimed at political flashpoints, researchers say
The report comes as election security experts remain on alert for efforts to manipulate the 2020 election from Russia and many other countries and nonstate actors.
April 8, 2020, 8:58 AM CDT
By Kevin Collier
On the internet, a letter from Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., dated July 13, 2019, looks legitimate. It has a U.S. Senate letterhead, Cardin's signature and even a small "Printed on Recycled Paper" at the bottom.
But it is fake. Cardin never sent the letter, which attempts to portray him as making an exaggerated case for Russian opposition candidate Alexei Navalny to Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J.
It's one of a handful of fake government documents that have circulated on the internet in recent months. One purports to be from a U.S. admiral, while another tries to float the idea that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recognized the Armenian Genocide and blamed Turkey — something Pompeo has been careful not to do.
The letters were released Wednesday by the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, which analyzed the documents and found what its researchers say is an organized, targeted effort with connections to Russia aimed at influencing geopolitical discourse. It's the kind of operation that could be deployed for the 2020 election.
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