Woman Charged with Acting Illegally as a Russian Agent in the U.S.

According to a statement and criminal complaint released on March 6, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York charged a Russian-American woman with acting illegally as a Russian agent in the U.S. for at least 10 years. Elena Branson was also charged with willfully failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, conspiring to commit visa fraud and making false statements to the FBI. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York alleges that Branson has been working for the Kremlin since at least 2011 “to advance Russian interests in the United States.” The attorney’s office also claims that she coordinated meetings with Russian officials to lobby American politicians and businessmen and attempted to promote Russian government politics by running pro-Russia organizations within the U.S. Branson is suspected to have communicated directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin during her time in the United States. 

According to the filing, “Throughout, Branson has received funding and direction from the Russian Government, including from the Russian Embassy in the United States, and received tasking from high-level Russian Government officials and Russian Government-run organizations.”

You can read the statement and complaint here and below:

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Dual U.S. / Russian National Charged With Acting Illegally As A Russian Agent In The United States

Elena Branson Allegedly Willfully Evaded FARA Registration for Nearly a Decade, Working to Advance the Interests of the Russian Government While Receiving Tasking and Funding from High-Level Russian Officials

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the filing of a Complaint charging ELENA BRANSON, a dual Russian and U.S. citizen, with acting and conspiring to act in the United States illegally as an agent of the Russian government, willfully failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”), as well as conspiring to commit visa fraud and making false statements to the FBI.  As alleged, beginning in at least 2011, BRANSON worked on behalf of the Russian government and Russian officials to advance Russian interests in the United States, including by coordinating meetings for Russian officials to lobby U.S. political officials and businesspersons, and by operating organizations in the United States for the purpose of publicly promoting Russian government policies, and BRANSON never notified the Attorney General as she was required to, including by registering under FARA.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Elena Branson, a dual U.S. / Russian national, actively subverted foreign agent registration laws in the United States in order to promote Russian policies and ideology.  The Russian government at its highest levels, up to and including President Vladimir Putin, have made known that aggressive propaganda and recruitment of the Russian diaspora around the world is a Russian priority.  In connection with this pursuit, Branson is alleged to have corresponded with Putin himself and met with a high-ranking Russia minister before founding a Russian propaganda center here in New York City, the Russian Center New York.  Branson’s promotional outreach, including an ‘I Love Russia’ campaign aimed at American youths, exemplifies her attempts to act at the behest of the Russian government to illegally promote its interests in the United States.  All the while, Branson knew she was supposed to register as an agent of the Russian government but chose not to do so and, instead, instructed others regarding how to illegally avoid the same.  Particularly given current global events, the need to detect and hinder attempts at foreign influence is of critical importance, and the Southern District of New York is proud to do its part in the fight against tyranny.”

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “As alleged, Branson engaged in a wide-ranging influence and lobbying scheme with funding and direction from the Russian government – all while deliberately leaving the American people in the dark. The Department will continue to expose these serious crimes and shine a light on foreign malign influence.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “As alleged, Branson worked as an illegal agent of the Russian government in circumvention of FARA requirements. At the direction of the Russian government, she led a years long campaign to identify the next generation of American leaders, cultivate information channels, and shape US policy in favor of Russian objectives.  This case highlights the breadth of Russia's relentless intelligence and malign influence activities targeting the United States. The FBI will continue to be just as aggressive in uncovering and dismantling these Russian government networks who seek to harm our national security.”

According to the allegations contained in the Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

The Russian government has sought to spread Russian propaganda and to use Russian citizens in the United States and elsewhere to make connections with U.S. community leaders, politicians, and businesspersons, in order to advance Russian government objectives.  Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin, have made public statements acknowledging this foreign policy strategy of the Russian government. 

As part of that Russian government effort, beginning in at least approximately 2011, BRANSON, a native of Russia, acted illegally as an agent of the Russian government while living in the United States, by not registering pursuant to FARA or otherwise notifying the Attorney General as required by a separate statute. Among other things, in or about 2012, after receiving approval from the highest levels of the Russian government, BRANSON incorporated an organization headquartered in Manhattan, New York, named the Russian Center New York (“RCNY”).  BRANSON sent correspondence to then-Prime Minister Putin and met with a high-ranking Russian government Minister in connection with the initiation of her activities for the Russian government in the United States.  BRANSON received tens of thousands of dollars in funding from the Russian government for the RCNY and has used the RCNY to host events and engage in public messaging at the direction of the Russian government and Russian officials.  BRANSON was directed to, among other things, host events designed to consolidate the Russian-speaking youth community in the United States.  For example, BRANSON and the RCNY hosted an annual youth forum, funded in part by an entity controlled by the Government of Moscow. Throughout her work as a Russian agent in the United States, BRANSON received funding and direction from the Russian government, including from the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and received tasking from high-level Russian government officials and Russian government-run organizations. At the same time, however, BRANSON actively sought to hide that the Russian government was providing her with tasking and funding her activity and she instructed her co-conspirators to do the same. She also cautioned others against using language in describing their activities that would draw attention to FARA registration obligations for herself and the organizations.

As alleged, in or about 2019, BRANSON coordinated through the RCNY a campaign to lobby Hawaiian officials not to change the name of a fort located on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, which is the last remaining formerly Russian fort in the Hawaiian islands and is significant to the Russian government.  Among other things, BRANSON provided Hawaiian officials with messages from Russian government officials and organized a trip to Moscow for Hawaiian officials responsible for the potential name change to meet with high-ranking Russian government personnel. 

In addition to the RCNY, BRANSON has served as a Chairperson of the Russian Community Council of the USA (“KSORS”), which is funded at least in part by various Russian government-run entities.  Among other things, KSORS has coordinated an “I Love Russia” campaign in the United States and organized youth forums focused on the promotion of Russian history and culture to American youths.  BRANSON used the KSORS website to promote messages from the Russian Embassy and organized KSORS events approved by the Russian Ambassador to the United States.  When BRANSON sought financial support from a Government of Moscow official for the KSORS website, BRANSON reported that the purpose of the KSORS website was to spread information “about the activities of organizations created by Russian compatriots to form a positive image of Russia and Moscow among Americans.” 

According to the Complaint, BRANSON’s work on behalf of the Russian government also included arranging meetings for herself and other Russian officials with U.S. Government officials and executives at businesses based in the United States.  For example, in March 2016, BRANSON worked to arrange meetings for the head of the Department of Foreign Economic Activity and International Relations for the Government of Moscow with, among others, a then-New York State Senator and the management of certain U.S. companies.

BRANSON also participated in a scheme to obtain fraudulent visas for Russian officials and their associates, by providing information about RCNY events to those individuals for using as false pretenses to obtain visas to enter the United States. 

The FBI interviewed BRANSON on September 29, 2020.  During this interview, among other things, BRANSON falsely claimed that she had never been asked by Russian officials to coordinate any meetings between U.S. business leaders or politicians and officials from the Government of Moscow.  BRANSON subsequently left the United States for Russia.  On or about October 15, 2021, during an interview on a Russian government-controlled television station, BRANSON stated that she had left the United States because she thought it was likely that she would be arrested. 

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BRANSON, 61, is charged with (1) conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; (2) acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison; (3) conspiring to evade FARA registration, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; (4) willfully failing to register under FARA, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; (5) conspiring to commit visa fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and (6) making false statements to the FBI, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  The maximum statutory penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by a judge.

BRANSON left the United States for Russia in 2020 and remains at large.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division, and thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, for their assistance.

The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Richman is in charge of the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

The charges in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.