Tim Pool backtracks, now questions whether Russia actually paid him millions

After claiming he was a ‘victim’ of an alleged Russian plot that paid him to be an unwitting mouthpiece, Pool now says feds included 'out of context' and potentially false messages in their evidence

Tim Pool (Source Image Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr)

EXCLUSIVE

Tim Pool, a pro-Trump social media commentator, said his company would assist federal law enforcement “in whatever way we can” after federal prosecutors alleged that Tenet Media, a startup media company that paid him millions, acted as a front for a covert Russian influence campaign targeting Americans. If the allegations were true, Pool said last year, that meant he and other commentators who held contracts with the company “were deceived and are victims.”

Last week, Pool changed his tune.

In response to questions we sent him ahead of our latest episode, Pool said evidence that the Department of Justice included in their indictment charging two employees of a Russian state-controlled news broadcaster with using fake personas and shell companies to launder nearly $10 million into Tenet Media — excerpts of Discord chat logs, emails, and even a copy of a fake resume that the Russian duo allegedly sent to another Tenet Media commentator — may have been misconstrued, or even false.

“The indictment includes out of context messages that are in dispute, no actual proof of said messages in fact, and claims without any corroborating hard evidence for everything else,” Pool claimed when reached for comment by Posting Through It co-host Jared Holt.

He added: “I think you're putting too much stock into claims from the DOJ that have never been adjudicated. I'm not sure why you would assume any of it defacto [sic] 'true'.”

Note: Pool is correct that the government has not proven its claims in court, but it’s crucial to note that both Russians named in the indictment were based in Moscow. Barring a radical change of heart by Russian President Vladimir Putin, it’s unlikely they will ever be extradited to the United States to stand trial.

During its nearly year-long tenure, Tenet Media inked licensing and content deals with a stable of high-profile conservative social media stars — including Pool — with the alleged goal of creating and distributing pro-Russian content to US audiences. The Russians allegedly lied about the source of the company’s funding and provided minimal editorial direction on creators’ content. Creators who cashed Tenet Media’s checks, it seemed, were none the wiser.

Tenet Media’s lineup, left to right: Benny Johnson, Lauren Southern, Dave Rubin, Tim Pool, Matt Christiansen, Tayler Hansen. (Source: Tenet Media, via web archive)

Pool said there was “never an instance that things seemed wrong,” and that his company had not been contacted before DOJ announced the indictment. Pool also claimed the millions he received from Tenet Media — $100,000 per week for several months — were “inconsequential” to his business.

“The end of the deal changed nothing in my life, company, hiring, or plans,” Pool said, noting that his company had hired additional staff and was preparing to launch a new “live stage show.”

Pool produces one of the highest-ranking live-streamed podcasts and said the large sums Tenet Media paid him were consistent with “market rate” pricing for a show with his reach. He added that single ad reads on his podcast fetch tens of thousands of dollars in revenue and each episode can feature multiple ad reads.

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Listen to “Who the Hell is Tim Pool? feat. Robert Silverman”

Posting Through It cohosts read Pool’s responses to our questions, in full, on the show’s latest episode, which explores Pool’s rise into MAGA media stardom. (Discussion about Tenet Media begins around 02:08:30.)