Website usurps the identity of a French newspaper and publishes an article accusing Macron of being involved in the Epstein case. The mode of operation is associated with a disinformation network financed by Russia.
French authorities have detected a disinformation operation, linked to the Russian Storm-1516 network, designed to make people believe that French President Emmanuel Macron was involved in the Epstein case, a government source announced this Friday.
Viginum, the service responsible for combating foreign interference online, detected this operation on Wednesday, based on “creation of a website that usurps the identity of the [jornal] France-Soir“where “an article was published accusing the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, of being involved in the Epstein case“, said the source, confirming information from French agency BFMTV.
This false information was then “amplified on the X network”, added the source, cited by the AFP agency.
France-Soir issued a warning about the fake websiteon social media Wednesday night.
“Important alert for readers of France-Soir. Warning: falsification of brand and content. The website http://france-soir.net has no connection with France-Soir,” the newspaper said in a statement published on X.
According to the government source, “Viginum attributes to this site a high level of trust in CopyCop’s informational modus operandi.”
CopyCop is connected to a former american policemanJohn Mark Dougan, who is exiled in Russia since 2016.
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The video content was then “adopted and amplified by many other accounts followed by Viginum and probably paid for by modus operandi operators”, added the same French Government official.
However, “visibility does not mean impact”, stressed the source, adding that “this operation is very similar” to what the Storm-1516 network is used to doing, “by targeting political figures (including the President) and quickly retrieving current events”.
Former French minister mentioned 673 times in Epstein files
The case linked to American pedophile Jeffrey Epstein is involving another figure in France: o former French minister Jack Lang and president, since 2013, of the emblematic Arab World Institute (IMA), he will have to explain to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs his connections to the American criminal, who died in jail in 2019.
“It was summoned by the ministry and will be received on Sunday”, said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot today.
Despite pressure to resign from the institute’s leadership, Jack Lang has refused to step downciting his “naivety” faced with the revelations about the his past ties to Jeffrey Epsteinwith the publication of on January 30th through the North American judicial system.
The French executive said on Thursday night that he should “think about the institution” of the IMA. The institute receives an annual subsidy of 12.3 million euros from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, half of the organization’s budget.
After declaring on Monday that he “fully accepts past ties” with the American financier, Jack Lang assured on Wednesday that knew nothing about this man’s criminal past when she met him “about 15 years ago” through director Woody Allen.
There are no charges against Jack Lang and his presence in these does not imply any irregularity on your part.
But the mention of the name of the former French minister by 673 times and yours ties of interest with Epstein had an impact, including on her daughter Caroline, who earlier this week resigned as president of a film producers union following revelations about a offshore company that he founded in 2016 with the North American businessman.
In the political ranks, calls for Jack Lang to leave continue to multiply, including in their own camp, namely the Greens and socialists.
