WASHINGTON (CN) – An arraignment hearing for three organizations charged with illegally plotting to sow political dissension and meddle in the 2016 election has been rescheduled.
According to a minute order filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday, Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather agreed to move the initial appearance and arraignment for the Internet Research Agency LLC and Concord Management and Consulting LLC from Tuesday, March 20 to May 9.
In February, the companies were the first organizations to be indicted for connections to Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
According to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s indictment, beginning in June 2014, the Internet Research Agency allegedly used a $2 million budget to unleash “information warfare” online with the help of Russian entities.
The company is believed to have used platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube in order to spread its disinformation campaign.
The other companies named in the indictment, Concord Management and Consulting and Concord Catering, also allegedly helped the scheme by routing the funds through a series of deceptive maneuvers: dubbing their operation “Project Lakhta,” Mueller contends the group purposefully flagged their operational funds for “software support and development” to keep up appearances.
Mueller also alleges Concord used 14 affiliate bank accounts to conceal the source of their payments for their work.
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