US intelligence says Russia is behind video of ballots being destroyed in Pennsylvania

U.S. intelligence officials have confirmed that a viral video spreading online showing mail-in ballots being destroyed in the key battleground suburb of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is a hoax perpetrated by Russia as part of its covert effort to help elect former President Donald Trump.

A federal official exclusively told USA TODAY on Friday that authorities believed that was the case, based on the specifics of the video and the fact that it was targeting Vice President Kamala Harris and trying to boost Trump's electoral chances.

Less than 12 hours later, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) confirmed that assessment in a statement issued Friday night with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

The video, which began circulating Thursday, shows a stack of sealed mail ballot envelopes on a table as an unidentified man proceeded to open them and tear up mail-in ballots with votes for Trump and return ballots for Harris.

"F--- Donald Trump," the man in the video said repeatedly as he ripped up the ballots.

It was the third time in a month that the three agencies formally attributed a fake video attacking Harris or her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, to Moscow as part of an intensive U.S. effort to make the American public aware of the Kremlin's online propaganda efforts.

A fake video 'manufactured and amplified' by Russia

The intelligence community, the new statement said, "assesses that Russian actors manufactured and amplified a recent video that falsely depicted an individual ripping up ballots in Pennsylvania, judging from information available to the IC and prior activities of other Russian influence actors, including videos and other disinformation activities."

"This Russian activity is part of Moscow's broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the US election and stoke divisions among Americans, as detailed in prior ODNI election updates," said the statement. "In the lead up to election day and in the weeks and months after, the IC expects Russia to create and release additional media content that seeks to undermine trust in the integrity of the election and divide Americans."

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The intelligence officials have been holding a series of briefings with reporters in Washington detailing the latest efforts by Russia — China and Iran, as well — to meddle in the election to inform the public. They have also declassified top-secret intelligence about Russia's efforts, headed by President Vladimir Putin, and made it public in "Election Security Update" reports accompanying the briefings.

In the most recent briefing last Tuesday, officials said Russia in particular had ramped up its efforts to intervene and boost Trump's chances as the Nov. 5 election nears. And they said in the latest declassified memo that Russia is behind a fake video smearing Walz with false sexual abuse allegations. The intelligence officials also warned that Russia's efforts to help Trump, and Iran's efforts to hurt his candidacy due to his hardline policies toward Tehran, will continue after the election — especially if Trump contests a loss as he has strongly suggested he will.

And officials said on Sept. 23 that Russia also made and circulated a widely viewed fake video showing a young girl purporting to be a paralyzed victim of a hit-and-run car accident by Harris in San Francisco.

Video bears all the hallmarks of a Russian information operation

Bucks County officials issued a public warning late Thursday that they were aware of the "fake" video and had contacted the FBI, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and Pennsylvania Department of State about it.

On Friday morning, a federal official told USA TODAY that the video bears all the hallmarks of being part of Russia's influence operation, and that it had triggered an investigation by the three federal agencies.

The federal official also said that authorities believe there are many more fake election videos in circulation, in which Russia films people pretending to be Americans to boost pro-Trump and anti-Harris narratives, to sow general chaos, and to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system.

'This video is fake': Pennsylvania officials say viral video of destroyed ballots for Trump a hoax

Why would Russia want to target Bucks County, Pennsylvania?

Recent polls show the presidential election contest to be a dead heat. That makes Pennsylvania — especially Bucks County, an affluent suburb just outside Philadelphia — a critical swing area in determining the outcome.

In the previous two presidential elections, Montgomery and Bucks counties cast more ballots combined than Philadelphia, which alone accounted for 10% of the 6.1 million votes totaled in 2020 and 11.5% of the 6.1 million votes counted in 2020.

Next to Luzerne County, Bucks County has the narrowest divide among Republican and Democratic voters. Republicans make up about 41.6% of voters while Democrats make up about 41% of voters, according to voter registration data from earlier this month.

Both candidates have focused intensively on Bucks County and neighboring areas. Last week, Trump worked the fry machine at a McDonald's in Feasterville and later claimed he did so to show he had spent "15 minutes more than Kamala" working at the iconic fast-food chain.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Russia made fake video of Pennsylvania ballots being destroyed: Intel