Canadian linked to Russian influence campaign refuses to answer MPs' questions
Lauren Chen has been accused of aiding a Russian propaganda campaign through her company Tenet
The House of Commons is being asked to consider whether Lauren Chen — a Canadian influencer accused of aiding a Russian propaganda campaign — should be found in contempt of Parliament after she refused to answer MPs' questions during a parliamentary committee hearing Tuesday.
Chen was summoned to appear before the House of Commons public safety and national security committee in the wake of explosive allegations in the U.S. linking her and her husband to a foreign influence operation.
In September, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment against two Russian nationals, accusing them of setting up a conservative media outlet as a front for pro-Kremlin propaganda.
The media outlet was not named in the indictment but it was clear from its details that the charges referred to Tenet Media, founded in 2023 by Chen and her husband, Liam Donovan.
Chen, who had a lawyer off-screen during Tuesday's hearing, used her opening statement to signal that as the target of criminal investigation in the U.S., she would not be answering questions.
"Both Canada and the United States strongly value the right to be free from self-incrimination," she said.
Over the 45 minutes that followed, Chen repeated the same nine words: "For the reasons already given, I have no comment."
She repeated that line even when she was being asked to confirm her name and citizenship, frustrating MPs of all stripes.
"Ms. Chen, unfortunately I feel, is making a farce of this committee," said Conservative MP Raquel Dancho.
Liberal MP Pam Damoff said she was "deeply, deeply disturbed."
The MPs agreed unanimously that Chen's refusal to answer their questions could constitute a breach of privilege and voted to send the matter to the House of Commons.
According to House of Commons rules of procedure and practice, a breach of privilege covers "any disregard of or attack on the rights, powers and immunities of the House."
If the House agrees, Chen could be ordered to appear "before the bar" of the House of Commons to receive a public rebuke from the Speaker.
Indictment alleges Kremlin-backed disinformation campaign
The U.S. indictment alleges two Russians — both employees of state broadcaster RT — illegally funnelled nearly $10 million into a company widely reported to be Tenet as part of a disinformation campaign.
The indictment says the company in question is self-described as "a network of heterodox commentators that focus on Western political and cultural issues," which matches word-for-word the description on Tenet Media's homepage. The indictment also said the company was incorporated on Jan. 19, 2022, which matches publicly available records with the Tennessee Secretary of State.
According to the document, prosecutors believe the money was shared with the conservative Tenet Media personalities to covertly promote the Kremlin's agenda.
Many of the videos published by Tenet "contain commentary on events and issues in the United States, such as immigration, inflation, and other topics related to domestic and foreign policy," says the indictment.
"While the views expressed in the videos are not uniform, the subject matter and content of the videos are often consistent with the Government of Russia's interest in amplifying U.S. domestic divisions in order to weaken U.S. opposition to core Government of Russia interests, such as its ongoing war in Ukraine."
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said the U.S.-based influencers and personalities who were recruited to help with the foreign influence operation did not know about Russia's involvement and were led to believe their work was being funded by a fictional investor named "Eduard Grigoriann."
Many of the media personalities involved in Tenet, including Tim Pool, Benny Johnson and Dave Rubin, have put out statements saying they were unaware of the alleged scheme.
The unsealed indictment does say the founders of the company knew their funding came from "the Russians."
Chen and Donovan have not been charged.
The indictment also includes more than a dozen references to another Canadian company owned by Chen and Donovan that was used as a vehicle to receive payments from RT.
Research by CBC News found a federally registered corporation linked to Chen and Donovan called Roaming Millennial Inc., which had an address in Montreal until last November.
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With files from Jonathan Montpetit and Aloysius Wong