# X cracks down on Russia-backed election lies

> X suspended Russian propaganda accounts but paid influencers still spread election lies to millions.
- Title: X cracks down on Russia-backed election lies · Straight Arrow
- Summary: X suspended Russian propaganda accounts but paid influencers still spread election lies to millions. X suspended 2 dozen Storm-1516 accounts but paid…
- Keywords: russia, election, disinformation, storm-1516, senate, democrats, paid influencers, social media, news, politics, world, cracks
- Source: Straight Arrow — https://san.com/cc/x-cracks-down-on-russia-backed-election-lies-but-paid-amplifiers-are-still-reaching-millions
- Published: 2026-11-02T21:17:07+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: x, russia, election, disinformation, storm-1516, senate, democrats, paid influencers, social media, news, politics, world
## X suspends Russian accounts
X suspended about two dozen accounts tied to a Russian propaganda syndicate just ahead of Election Day.
## Storm-1516 remains active
Dozens of Storm-1516 accounts with over 2.4 million followers remain active on X after partial suspension.
## Targets in Senate races
Storm-1516 targeted James Talarico in Texas, Sherrod Brown in Ohio and Troy Jackson in Maine.
## False allegations spread
Storm-1516 spread false sexual assault allegations against Democrats and workplace violence claims.
## Paid influencers amplify
Paid influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers amplified false narratives to target Senate candidates.
## Real people behind accounts
Researchers say most active Storm-1516 accounts are run by real people, not bots.
## Influencer Johnny Midnight
Johnny Midnight, with 760,000 followers, spread false allegations against Senate candidates.
## Influencer Joey Mannarino
Joey Mannarino, with 779,000 followers, spread voter fraud claims and discourages voting for libertarian candidates.
## Mannarino's claims
Mannarino claimed voter fraud would reach historic levels and urged immediate reporting of fraud attempts.
## X's enforcement
X suspended 13,000 accounts but left Storm-1516 accounts active due to inconsistent enforcement.
## Storm-1516's tactics
Storm-1516 uses real collaborators to publish narratives and pays influencers hundreds of dollars per post.
## International impact
Storm-1516 spreads disinformation in France and other countries targeting political movements.
## X's stance
X claims suspended accounts were inauthentic but faces challenges distinguishing real users from bots.
## What happens next
Storm-1516 continues spreading election lies while X struggles to enforce consistent removal of accounts.
## Key takeaway

X suspended 2 dozen Storm-1516 accounts but paid influencers with 2.4m followers continue spreading false allegations against Senate candidates.