Agency reward

Employees of Russian RT channel and Sputnik agencies may be recognized as foreign agents. About this in his column at The Washington Post was written by the former US Ambassador to Moscow Michael McFol.

Controlled by the Russian government RT and Sputnik, McFol explained, during the last presidential campaign in the United States openly campaigned for Donald Trump's candidate, and Sputnik even launched a hashtag #CrooKEDHILLARY (English. Passionate Hillary Clinton, Roman Trump in the elections). “We have laws that do not allow foreign governments to provide candidates with financial support,” the former ambassador noted. “Do we should adopt laws that block and other support from them?”

The development of such laws is a difficult matter, McFol continued, since the first amendment to the US Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. "However, our legislators should not cope with this problem?" - The publication says.

"Should the Sputnik and RT employees receive accreditation as journalists or as foreign agents in accordance with the Law on Registration of Foreign Agents?" McFol asks. “I don’t know. But we need to know this.”

The once existing communist International, the former ambassador notes, the "anti -libral international" came. Along with Russian and other foreign politicians, American are also involved in his activities. The United States emphasizes McFol, it should be found out what the scale of the new "International" and whether its activity affected the outcome of the presidential election.

The former ambassador approved the initiative of the departing President of Barack Obama, who recently gave the special services an indication of anew to investigate cyber attacks and foreign intervention in the American elections since 2008 and submit the results until January 20, when Obama leaves his post. However, McFol continued, a serious investigation will take more than a month, and the Congress commission formed from representatives of both leading US parties should be conducted.

The law on registration of foreign agents has been in force in the United States since 1938. It requires that the structures - representatives of foreign governments, as well as foreign individuals and legal entities reveal their occupation and sources of financing. The document does not apply to NGOs leading cultural activities, and to the media.