Remove Pro Russian Sympathizers From State Department

Darren Beattie, a senior official in the US State Department under Donald Trump, has generated significant alarm and controversy due to his ardent pro-Russian views, his family's links to the Kremlin, and his direct role in dismantling a key US agency tasked with countering foreign disinformation, according to an article in The Telegraph by Benedict Smith (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/06/03/trump-official-shut-russia-propaganda-unit-kremlin-ties/). Beattie is married to Yulia Kirillova, whose uncle, Sergei Chernikov, is a Russian oligarch with a history in Russian politics and reported ties to Vladimir Putin, including receiving a personal "thank you" message from Putin for his help in an election campaign. Since his appointment in February as acting under-secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, Beattie has focused on destroying the US government's Russian disinformation unit, the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference hub. He reportedly pursued the agency "doggedly," taking it apart piece by piece, sacking contractors, and restricting communication within the State Department regarding its work. This agency, with a budget of just over $50 million, tracked and countered propaganda from sources including Russia, China, and Iran. Beattie has a history of expressing pro-Russian and pro-Chinese views, suggesting Western institutions should be "infiltrated" by Putin and attacking what he calls the "globalist American empire". He has praised Putin as "brave and strong" and claimed NATO is a greater threat to American liberty than Putin. He also advocates for surrendering Taiwan to Beijing and has made disparaging remarks about Britain. State Department sources have expressed skepticism over whether Mr. Beattie underwent proper security vetting, a process reportedly relaxed under Mr. Trump. There is also widespread concern about him taking a significant interest in classified material related to Russia. Despite these concerns, Mr. Beattie described the allegations as "malicious defamatory trash". A senior State Department official also defended him, calling the reports "fake news" and affirming Mr. Beattie's commitment to President Trump’s "America First agenda". In essence, the sources present a picture of a US official whose actions and past statements align with pro-Kremlin narratives, leading to the dismantling of a US counter-disinformation effort and raising questions about national security and influence. The antidemocratic and anti-American sentiment running through the Trump administration is intolerable. I urge you to investigate Beattie and remove him from government should any of this prove true.