Global Democratic Elites Fund False Interference Claims to Smear Conservatives

A foreign-funded hit job wrapped in buzzwords and bullshit.

A European-based propaganda machine, funded by Democratic elites in America and the UK, claims that an international network of social media bots is “artificially” amplifying misinformation about Canada’s election to favour the Conservatives. However, when you do some research, it becomes crystal clear that these foreign operatives are the ones interfering in our elections by running a full-blown smear campaign against Pierre Poilievre while using a CBC journalist as their personal mouthpiece.

The Story: A Baseless Smear Masquerading as Research

A recent article in The Logic, penned by Martin Patriquin, claims a shadowy “network” of X accounts is “artificially” amplifying right-wing messaging about Canada’s economy and leadership. The piece leans on a report from Reset Tech, a UK-based outfit calling itself a “digital threat research group.” Reset Tech alleges these accounts—73 identified, with “likely hundreds more”—are pushing misinformation about the election and showing support for Donald Trump annexing the country. The narrative is juicy: bots, conspiracy theorists, and Russian media like RT are supposedly orchestrating a coordinated assault on Canada’s election discourse, propping up Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his policies. The problem? There’s no proof—just speculation piled on top of innuendo, with a hefty dose of anti-Elon Musk seasoning thrown in for good measure.

This isn’t journalism. It’s a political hit piece, and the fingerprints of foreign interference are all over it—not from the right-wing bogeymen it targets, but from the left-leaning Reset Tech and its deep ties to US Democratic Party elites. Here’s why this story stinks of agenda-driven fiction.

The Players: A Left-Wing Echo Chamber

First, let’s look at who’s behind this. The article credits Reset Tech, a self-styled “global nonprofit” founded in 2019 to combat digital threats to democracy. Sounds noble, right? Dig deeper, and the facade crumbles. Reset Tech’s funding comes from a who’s-who of liberal philanthropy: the Sandler Foundation, Luminate (part of Pierre Omidyar’s empire), the Omidyar Network, and others like the Skoll Foundation and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. These are heavy hitters with a track record of backing progressive causes—think ProPublica, the Centre for American Progress, and anti-Trump advocacy. Luminate alone has pumped millions into Reset, with public reports showing multi-million-dollar grants as recently as 2023.

The real kicker? Reset’s CEO, Ben Scott, isn’t some neutral researcher. He was a policy advisor to Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential run and served as a legislative aide to Bernie Sanders. This guy is a Democratic insider, steeped in the US left’s tech policy playbook. Other Reset staffers—like Rishi Bharwani, a former advisor to Senator Cory Booker, and Zach Praiss, who worked on Kamala Harris’s 2024 campaign—cement the connection. Reset isn’t just a think tank; it’s a transatlantic extension of Democratic Party priorities, staffed by people who’ve spent their careers fighting Trump and the like.

Then there’s Martin Patriquin, the article’s author. He’s no disinterested observer. A New York Times and CBC regular, Patriquin’s got a history of criticizing conservatives.
His bias isn’t subtle; he’s a reliable megaphone for Canada’s left-leaning establishment, and this piece fits his pattern of smearing conservative figures like Poilievre.

And Amarnath Amarasingam? The article presents him as some authoritative voice, but he’s not even a Reset Tech employee. He’s a Canadian academic who “provided comment” for the report—hardly a lead investigator. A quick look at his Bluesky posts reveals his slant: he posts content calling Poilievre “unhinged” and eagerly shared the article to dunk on the right. His claim that “the vast majority of US-based online disinformation has come from the right” is a throwaway line, unsupported by data in the piece. He’s a partisan cheerleader, not a scientist.

The “Evidence”: A House of Cards

Now, the meat of the story: the supposed bot network. Reset Tech’s report claims 73 X accounts (and maybe “hundreds more”) are amplifying right-wing content—think Canada Free Press, Post Millennial, and even RT. They’re accused of spreading tales of economic woe and Trump’s “51st state” fantasy, with big names like Naomi Wolf (475,000 followers) and Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s February post (37 million views) cited as proof of influence. One “Vera Synthetic” account allegedly churns out AI-generated pro-annexation posts at a machine-gun pace—nine times in a minute!

Sounds damning, right? Except the article admits there’s no proof these are bots. Amarasingam himself says it’s “difficult to prove” they’re automated and not just “individuals who are very online.” The report hedges further: “Further analysis… is necessary to determine whether this activity is part of a broader foreign influence operation.” Translation: they’ve got nothing concrete—just vibes and a hunch. Even the 28,000 posts targeting Mark Carney during the Liberal leadership race? No evidence ties them to bots or foreign actors. It could just be Canadians pissed off online.

This isn’t research; it’s a fishing expedition. The article throws out buzzwords—“co-ordinated campaign,” “misinformation,” and “artificial amplification”—but offers zero data: no bot detection metrics, no IP traces, no account analysis beyond “they post a lot.” Compare this to real investigations, which have whistleblowers, leaked documents, and hard numbers. Here, it’s all speculation, dressed up as fact to scare Canadians into doubting Poilievre’s organic support.

The Foreign Interference Angle: Reset Tech’s Meddling

Here’s where it gets rich. The article warns of US-linked bots and Russian media meddling in Canada’s election, but the real foreign interference is staring us in the face: Reset Tech itself. This UK-based group, bankrolled by US Democratic-aligned donors, is injecting itself into Canada’s 2025 election discourse. Through Patriquin’s article in The Logic—amplified by his CBC ties—Reset is pushing a narrative to delegitimize Poilievre’s online support, all without evidence. That’s not research; it’s electioneering.

Reset’s ties to the Clinton machine and Democratic operatives like Scott, Bharwani, and Praiss make this more than a coincidence. These are people who’ve spent years battling Trump and the right, now turning their sights on Canada’s Conservative wave. Their funding—millions from Omidyar and Sandler—gives them the muscle to influence media narratives across borders. And their anti-Musk obsession (the article takes a gratuitous swipe at X facing EU fines) aligns with the US left’s vendetta against him for loosening content rules. This isn’t about protecting democracy; it’s about protecting a worldview Poilievre threatens.

Reset Tech’s Mission: Direct from their website

In a Canadian election year, a European outfit with American cash and CBC connections is planting seeds of doubt about a leading candidate with zero proof. If that’s not foreign interference, what is? The irony is thick: they accuse bots of meddling while meddling themselves, all under the guise of “threat research.”

The Motive: Smear Poilievre, Save the Left

Why this, why now? Poilievre is surging in polls, riding a wave of frustration with Trudeau and now Carney’s Liberals. His online support is loud, organic, and growing—something the left can’t stomach. Calling it “artificial” lets them dismiss it without engaging the issues: cost of living, housing, and government overreach. So, Reset Tech and Patriquin aren’t proving interference; they’re crafting a scapegoat to explain away Poilievre’s momentum.

The article’s timing—during an election cycle—and its focus on right-wing narratives (economic decline, anti-Carney sentiment) scream political intent. It’s a playbook straight out of 2016: Cry “bots” and “Russia” to tar your opponent, evidence be damned. But I don’t think Canadians are buying it. The lack of proof, the hedging (“it could just be people online”), and the foreign ties expose this for what it is: a desperate, baseless smear from a flailing left.

The Verdict: A Hit Piece With No Teeth

This story collapses under scrutiny. No data backs the bot claims. No evidence links these X accounts to foreign powers. The key players—Reset Tech, Patriquin, and Amarasingam—reek of partisan bias and foreign influence, not the right-wing “network” they target.

And look—every political party takes advantage of every opportunity they can. That’s politics. But the sheer audacity of a foreign-funded, Democrat-aligned election interference outfit accusing its opponents of election interference? That level of hypocrisy is blinding. It’s a masterclass in projection—and Canadians should be furious.