Motherjones iconMotherjonesSep 29, 2026 ~7 min source read

David Corn: How a Russian disinformation network deepfaked me to attack Democrats ahead of the midterms

After publishing a book on Russian interference, David Corn says a Russian-linked operation called Matryoshka circulated fake videos and fabricated quotes attributed to him and Mother Jones to damage Democratic candidates and influence the midterm elections.

How I Got Dragged Into a Putin Disinformation Op

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A Russian-linked network named Matryoshka posted multiple fake videos purporting to be CNN or Mother Jones segments that targeted Democrats and referenced fabricated material attributed to David Corn.

Examples of fabricated claims included absurd allegations about candidates (Talarico, Sherrod Brown, Jon Ossoff) and a counterfeit video saying Corn had written a book called Enemies of Democracy for Dummies.

# What happened

Matryoshka circulated multiple fake clips and posts alleging damaging things about Democratic candidates and attributing false material to Corn and Mother Jones. Some posts used long-established bot accounts to boost apparent reach.

# Who is involved

  • David Corn: author whose book documents Russian influence operations and who became a target of fabricated content.
  • @antibot4navalny: an anonymous monitoring group that alerted Corn to some of the fake posts.
  • Mother Jones' legal team: contacted X to request removal of fraudulent videos and posts.

# Examples of the fabrications

  • A counterfeit Mother Jones video claimed the Democratic National Committee paid Mark Thompson of CNN hundreds of millions of dollars to promote gender transition among minors. Corn published a piece exposing the falsehood and Mother Jones' lawyer secured its removal.
  • A separate fake CNN-style video showed a fabricated clip of Corn promoting a nonexistent book titled Enemies of Democracy for Dummies and included a made-up quote accusing Democrats of being "devils." That video initially appeared to draw nearly 200,000 views, though Corn reports Matryoshka relied on bots and that real reach was far smaller.
  • Matryoshka also pushed false video accusations against several Democratic senatorial candidates, including claims that James Talarico "despises" Hasidic Jews, that Sherrod Brown's business harmed Ohio's bee population, and that Jon Ossoff called for stopping military aid to Israel in favor of Ukraine.

# How the operation worked

Matryoshka produced at least nine sham Mother Jones videos and other fake network-style segments. The campaign used old bot accounts—some created up to 12 years ago—to amplify posts. The disinformation relied on realistic-looking graphics, fabricated quotes, and the appearance of bona fide network branding to make the clips look authentic.

# Response and impact

# Why this matters for readers

The episode illustrates how a disinformation operation can weaponize realistic video and false attribution to smear journalists and political figures during an election cycle. It also shows the tactics used: recycled bot infrastructure, fabricated quotes, and the mimicry of trusted news brands to lend false credibility.

# What to watch next

More context around this story.

How a Russian Attack on the Midterms Deepfaked Mother Jones
Motherjones iconMotherjonesSep 24, 2026

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