Russian-Linked Far-Right Media Personality Accused of Being In Contempt of Parliament by Canadian MPs

A far-right Canadian influencer could be found in contempt of parliament after repeatedly dodging questions from Canadian MPs about allegations surrounding a $10 million foreign influence campaign covertly funded by Russia.

Lauren Chen, founder of the far-right outlet Tenet Media, appeared before Canada’s Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security Tuesday to answer questions about a scheme that first came to light after a US Department of Justice indictment was unsealed in September.

The indictment alleges Russian state actors directed nearly $10 million to Tenet Media and separate Canadian company controlled by Chen registered at a residential address in Hudson, Québec.

The money was allegedly laundered to Tenet Media’s stable of far-right personalities to create content designed to interfere in the 2024 US Presidential election — at least 50 videos were focused on Canada.

NEW: The far-right media outlet linked in US federal indictment to a secret Russian influence campaign produced 50+ videos focused on Canada

We reviewed the videos before they were taken down and found they were viewed half-a-million timeshttps://t.co/IVdKAEdJLr #cdnpoli

— PressProgress (@pressprogress) September 6, 2024

Chen, who has occasionally appeared on outlets like Rebel Media, Fox News, Blaze TV and the Daily Wire, was a regular contributor to the Russian state media outlet RT between 2021 and 2022.

According to the indictment, Tenet Media’s founder had a “written contract” to create “English-language social commentary” content for ANO TV-Novosti, the parent company of RT. This “paid work” is alleged to include articles, videos and social media postings, some of which was apparently posted on the founder’s “personal accounts (without attribution to RT).”

In an opening statement, Chen underlined that she was only appearing before the parliamentary committee because she was “required” to comply with a summons and made clear she would refuse to answer questions from Canadian MPs.

“I am here today as required by the summons delivered to me,” Chen said, noting that she is currently the “target of a criminal investigation” in the United States.

While Chen acknowledged it’s not possible to “plead the fifth before this committee” because the “Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution does not apply in Canada,” Chen insisted she should be protected from self-incriminating herself.

“I must indicate that I will not answer any questions posed to me once I appear before this committee,” Chen said, adding that she believes her “refusal to answer questions is lawful and protected under (Canada’s) Charter.”

“After consulting with counsel both in Canada and the United States, I have concluded on their advice that answering questions from this committee could reasonably provide a ‘link in a chain’ toward a possible indictment against me.”

Throughout the committee hearing, Chen repeatedly refused to answer questions posed to her by MPs and delivered the same scripted response: “For the reasons already given, I have no comment.”

Chen is repeatedly refusing to answer questions and giving the same scripted response:

“For the reasons already given, I have no comment” pic.twitter.com/rkwt69hTek

— Luke LeBrun (@_llebrun) November 5, 2024

Despite parliamentarians unanimously moving a motion to compel Chen to answer their questions, Chen continued to dodge questions with tightly scripted responses.

At one point, Bloc Québecois MP Kristina Michaud attempted to get Chen to simply confirm on the record that her name is “Lauren Chen.”

“For the reasons already given, I have no comment,” Chen replied.

Despite the committee unanimously agreeing to compel Chen to answer the questions, Chen is refusing to confirm or deny that her name is “Lauren Chen” pic.twitter.com/geHB3bVk3M

— Luke LeBrun (@_llebrun) November 5, 2024

Chen also faced accusations likening her behaviour to treason.

Noting that far-right media personalities often use rhetoric baselessly labelling their adversaries as “traitors,” Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith asked Chen: “What would you call someone who accepts $10 million from a foreign adversary to run a covert propaganda operation on behalf that foreign adversary? What would you call that person.”

“For the reasons already given, I have no comment,” Chen said.

“Well I will answer it then,” Erskine-Smith replied. “You would call that person a ‘traitor’.”

Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith notes the far-right often labels others as “traitors”

NES: “What would you call someone who accepts $10M from a foreign adversary to run a covert propaganda operation?”

Chen: “I have no comment”

NES: “You would call that person a traitor” pic.twitter.com/27DEijEFzm

— Luke LeBrun (@_llebrun) November 5, 2024

Following Chen’s refusals to answer questions, NDP MP Alistair MacGregor moved a motion to have the committee’s clerk prepare a report to the House of Commons showing that Chen’s refusal to answer questions represents a “potential breach of privilege.”

“I believe it’s time for me to move a motion that would authorize use our chair to refer to this back to the House of Commons clearly indicating that we clearly have a witness who is in contempt,” MacGregor said.

“Being in contempt of Parliament means that she is wilfully obstructing our work into a very serious matter, we’ve given her multiple opportunities to do so, she was warned of the consequences that this could be escalated.”

MacGregor’s motion passed unanimously.

The motion has passed unanimously

Lauren Chen’s refusal to answer questions is going to be be referred to the Speaker of the House of Commons pic.twitter.com/VOmW4K73mq

— Luke LeBrun (@_llebrun) November 5, 2024

The committee also unanimously carried another motion to summon two other individuals linked to Tenet Media: Chen’s spouse, Liam Donovon, and the Canadian far-right influencer Lauren Southern.

Southern, a highly controversial alt-right media personality who previously worked for Rebel Media and has links to the European far-right, was responsible for the majority of the Tenet Media’s Russian-funded Canadian content.

In 2018, Southern traveled to Russia and created a series of videos with Alexander Dugin, a Russian neo-fascist philosopher who is considered an influential ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Southern also has close links to an Austrian fascist activist named Martin Sellner, a key figure at the centre of a major scandal in Germany after he was recorded outlining a mass deportation plan to politicians with the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party at a secret meeting in Potsdam, prompting massive anti-AfD street protests earlier this year.

Following the indictment, Southern issued a statement denying knowledge of the allegations put forward by the US Department of Justice and insisted that she had “full editorial control” over the content she produced for Tenet Media.

To wrap things up, the committee unanimously carried a motion to summon Chen’s spouse, Liam Donovon, and far-right influencer Lauren Southern to testify before parliament by no later than Friday, November 29 pic.twitter.com/zlQzKnRmWY

— Luke LeBrun (@_llebrun) November 5, 2024

Southern and Donovon will now be required to testify before parliament by Friday, November 29, 2024.