FEDERALhearing transcript

Congressional Hearing on Kremlin Political Influence

Original title: UNDERMINING DEMOCRACY: KREMLIN TOOLS OF MALIGN POLITICAL INFLUENCE

January 1, 2019

foreign policy Russia democracy political influence national security corruption

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing informs federal policy on how the U.S. government identifies and counters foreign political interference, which directly impacts national security strategies and international diplomatic relations.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Department of State

The agency is responsible for implementing foreign policy strategies discussed in the hearing.

European and Eurasian nations

These nations are identified as targets of the political influence activities discussed in the hearing.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2019.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript from a 2019 House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing regarding how the Russian government uses various tools, including illicit finance and corruption, to influence democratic processes globally. The hearing featured expert testimony from policy analysts and former government officials.

Key Facts

The hearing was held on May 21, 2019, by the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment.
The hearing focused on 'Kremlin tools of malign political influence,' specifically illicit finance, dark money, and corruption.
The subcommittee viewed a 2.5-minute film as part of the opening proceedings.
Four expert witnesses provided testimony: Michael Carpenter, Laura Rosenberger, Heather Conley, and Peter Doran.
The record includes additional materials titled 'Chaos as Strategy' and 'Policy Blueprint for Countering Authoritarian Interference in Democracies.'
Members were granted 5 days to submit additional statements and questions for the record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?

The purpose was to examine how the Russian government uses tools like illicit finance and corruption to influence democratic institutions and processes around the world.

Who testified at the hearing?

The witnesses included Dr. Michael Carpenter, Laura Rosenberger, Heather Conley, and Peter Doran, all of whom are experts in European and Eurasian policy.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Focus on Non-Military Aggression

The hearing marks a shift in focus from traditional military aggression in Georgia and Ukraine to the 'softer' tools of political influence like financial corruption.

Russia

Connected Entities

personWilliam Keating“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment”Map →

personLaura Rosenberger“Witness, Director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy”Map →

organizationHouse Committee on Foreign Affairs“Congressional committee overseeing the hearing”Map →

personMichael Carpenter“Witness, Senior Director at Penn Biden Center”Map →

personPeter Doran“Witness, President & CEO of Center for European Policy Analysis”Map →

personHeather Conley“Witness, Senior Vice President at CSIS”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment20
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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