The information in Mueller’s indictment is detailed, and it shows just how large, complex, and effective these operations were. Far from being a few trolls spreading comments on Twitter, these operations were years in the making, and included physical, on-the-ground operations including renting U.S. IT infrastructure and, incredibly, conducting actual rallies sponsored by their false-front groups.
The purpose of these operations started out as simply increasing discord not just in United States elections, but in the United States, by creating groups that made blacks, Muslims, and immigrants look more dangerous while making it seem as if whites conservatives were under threat.
As the election neared, the Russians turned these tools toward assisting Trump and attacking Clinton. According to the indictments, the Trump campaign worked with these groups unknowingly, which is sure to be the point that is emphasized by Republicans when discussing the indictments today.
But keep in mind that, as huge as this information may seem, it’s only a small part of Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election. This indictment doesn’t cover either of the groups involved in breaking into and stealing private U.S. information, the attacks on state voter databases, or the dissemination of stolen information through WikiLeaks.
It also doesn’t include anything about the people who offered that stolen information to the Trump campaign, or what they hoped to achieve.
All those indictments are still ahead.
