Blaze Media Drops Lauren Chen Following DOJ Allegations of Russian Ties

Blaze Media has severed its relationship with conservative commentator Lauren Chen after the Department of Justice (DOJ) connected her to a Russian influence scheme aimed at U.S. audiences. The DOJ accused Chen of misleading other conservative influencers about the origins of payments from her media company, which was reportedly funded by Russian state media.

Semafor reported that Chen, a YouTuber and Blaze TV contributor, was terminated by Blaze Media just one day after her name was indirectly referenced in a federal indictment involving two employees of Russia Today (RT). Blaze Media CEO Tyler Cardon confirmed, “Lauren Chen was an independent contractor, whose contract has been terminated.”

Key Details of the Indictment:

• Two Russian nationals, both RT employees, were charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

• Chen and her husband, Liam Donovan, are believed to be behind Tenet Media, a company that allegedly hid its Russian state funding behind a fictitious investor named “Eduard Grigoriann.”

• The DOJ revealed that the $10 million scheme aimed to distribute hidden Russian government messaging to U.S. audiences through unsuspecting conservative influencers.

While Chen and Donovan are not explicitly named in the indictment, clues such as quotes from Tenet’s YouTube Channel and the company’s Tennessee location closely match descriptions in the federal case. The indictment claims they misled prominent conservative commentators about their company’s true source of funding.

Several conservative influencers believed to be referenced in the indictment, including Dave Rubin and Tim Pool, have come forward to declare their innocence. Rubin stated, “These allegations clearly show that I and other commentators were the victims of this scheme. I knew absolutely nothing about any of this fraudulent activity.” Pool echoed similar sentiments, calling himself and others “victims” of the scheme.

As the investigation unfolds, more conservative voices are likely to distance themselves from Chen and her now-exposed ties to Russian propaganda efforts.

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