I realize this is only being brought up at this moment so Democrats can once again try to focus public attention on their Russia collusion story which, thus far, has no facts to back it up. That said, I still think this is a good idea.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen has introduced a bill which would give the Department of Justice additional authority to investigate the funding of RT, the Kremlin-controlled propaganda network. Shaheen released a statement on the bill: “We have good reason to believe that RT News is coordinating with the Russian government to spread misinformation and undermine our democratic process,” she said, adding, “The American public has a right to know if this is the case.” “T News has made public statements boasting that it can dodge our laws with shell corporations, and it’s time for the Department of Justice to investigate. My bill provides the authority needed to request documentation of RT News and find out who they’re accountable to,” Shaheen said.

The jumping off point for this bill is the report released by former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper in January. From UPI:

A Jan. 6 report from James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, said that Russia’s influence in the 2016 presidential election involved RT America. The report said RT was avoiding disclosure requirements by using a nonprofit structure and that its programming included stories that benefited Russian interests.

“RT America has positioned itself as a domestic U.S. channel and has deliberately sought to obscure any legal ties to the Russian government,” the report said.

RT is a propaganda network that is funded and controlled by the Kremlin. It strives to constantly portray the United States as a hypocritical dystopia on the verge of collapse even as Putin’s behavior gets a pass.

A couple years ago there was a wave of resignations including the one below which happened on air. But RT has continued to push its propaganda since then and any effort to uncover more about their funding is long overdue.