Canadian right-wing pundit says Russia never influenced her Tenet videos
Lauren Southern, a Canadian right-wing commentator, recently testified before the House of Commons public safety and national security committee regarding her involvement with Tenet Media, a company accused of pushing Russian propaganda. Southern, a well-known personality in conservative circles, vehemently denied being influenced by anyone to produce content for the embattled company.
The U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment in September against two Russian nationals, alleging that they set up a conservative media outlet as a front for pro-Kremlin propaganda. The indictment claims that the Russians funneled nearly $10 million into Tenet Media, a company founded by Canadian Lauren Chen and her husband Liam Donovan. The money was allegedly used to covertly promote the Kremlin’s agenda through the media outlet’s personalities.
Southern revealed that she was first approached by Chen, a longtime acquaintance, and that Donovan handled the contracts. She stated that she received around $275,000 to create numerous videos for Tenet Media, focusing on Canadian issues. Despite receiving payment, Southern claimed she had no knowledge of the source of the funds and would not have worked for the company if she had known.
The U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the influencers and personalities recruited by Tenet Media were unaware of Russia’s involvement and believed their work was funded by a fictional investor named “Eduard Grigoriann.” Southern produced videos for Tenet Media, such as “Canada Is Becoming A COMMUNIST HELLHOLE” and “Mean Tweets = Life in PRISON in Canada?!,” highlighting various Canadian issues.
Southern, originally from British Columbia, rose to prominence in the alt-right movement before branching out on her own. In 2018, she was banned from entering the United Kingdom due to her involvement in distributing racist material in Luton.
During a committee meeting, Chen irritated MPs by refusing to answer questions, citing her right to avoid self-incrimination as a target of a criminal investigation. The committee unanimously decided to send a report outlining a potential breach of privilege to the Speaker. NDP MP Alistair MacGregor called for Chen to be publicly admonished before the House of Commons and compelled to answer questions from MPs.
Public admonishment before the House, a rare measure once considered, has become more common in recent years. It involves being “brought before the bar” in reference to a brass rail intended to prevent strangers from entering the chamber. The situation surrounding Tenet Media continues to unfold as investigations into the company’s ties to Russian propaganda persist.
