In 2014, after publishing an investigative report concerning the Russian government-connected Internet Research Agency (IRA), Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro became the subject of a Russian media campaign that attacked her character and mental stability. Johan Backman of the Moscow-based Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISS) served as the source for much of the content about Aro that circulated in the Russian media. According to The New York Times, RISS is “a state-funded research group led by a Soviet-era intelligence officer.” According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the IRA is “a Russian organization engaged in operations to interfere with elections and political processes.” Evgeniy Prigozhin, “a Russian oligarch who is closely identified with Russian President Vladimir Putin,” provides funding and support for the IRA