Canadian commentator Lauren Southern alleges she spent months under pressure from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) after the United States Justice Department released an indictment in September 2024 connecting a conservative media outlet she contributed to with covert Russian propaganda funding. Southern says the agency attempted to recruit her as an informant, warning her of possible arrest, travel restrictions, and long term reputational consequences if she refused. None of the suggested consequences ever materialized and she was never charged with any offence.CSIS has not issued a public response, and no Canadian contributor associated with the outlet has been charged..Indictment Triggered Sudden Fallout Across Conservative MediaThe indictment, unsealed on September 5, 2024, accused two Russian nationals of financing Tenet Media through shell companies and concealed invoicing. Although the indictment did not name Tenet Media directly, the structure, timeline, founders, and content described in the filing aligned with publicly available information about the company.Tenet was formed in 2023 by Canadian online commentator Lauren Chen and her husband, Liam Donovan. Prosecutors allege the pair unknowingly worked with individuals connected to Russian state media and were encouraged to commission and publish content favourable to Donald Trump while casting Ukraine and Western institutions negatively during the lead-up to the 2024 United States presidential election.The indictment did not allege that Chen, Donovan, or the commentators working with them knowingly participated in a foreign influence operation. Prosecutors described contributors as unwitting contractors.Nonetheless, consequences were swift. By mid-September 2024, YouTube had permanently removed Chen’s channel, which had gained more than 570,000 subscribers. She was released from her role with The Blaze, removed from speaking affiliations with Turning Point USA, and affiliated accounts belonging to Tenet Media were also removed from YouTube.Several commentators who worked for Tenet said publicly that they were unaware of the funding arrangement. Political commentator Dave Rubin posted that he believed his involvement, and the involvement of others, was the result of deception. Southern and Chen remained silent in the months immediately following the indictment..Extended Silence Followed by Public DisclosureSouthern did not speak publicly about the indictment or her involvement with Tenet Media until November 11, 2025, when she released a two-hour video outlining what she described as repeated attempts by CSIS to coerce her into cooperation. Days later, she provided additional detail in an interview with the Western Standard.She says the first contact from CSIS occurred in mid to late September 2024.“It started mid-September and went all the way to November,” Southern said. “It was right after Trump won the election that I was like, forget it, I am done. Enough of the warnings and threats, I'll take whatever the consequences are for saying no."According to Southern, two CSIS agents arrived unannounced at her home with uniformed police officers present. She says contact continued afterward through phone calls and in person meetings.“They had convinced me that there was an arrest coming potentially for me,” she said. “They said they were going to give me immunity, essentially, but they could not put it in writing.”Southern says repeated conversations focused on the idea that legal or professional consequences could come from perception rather than evidence.“It is not what actually happened that matters. It is the perception,” she recalled being told.She alleges that CSIS also raised the possibility that her ability to travel could be restricted and that agencies in the United States, including the FBI, might view her as compromised. Southern says she was told CSIS could intervene on her behalf if she agreed to share information and cooperate.“They said they could bring the FBI up here and be the liaison,” she said.She also alleges she was advised not to involve legal counsel and was warned that involving the RCMP would mean waiting until it was too late to avoid consequences.Southern says she was instructed more than once to disable her phone during meetings. No written documentation outlining legal grounds or warnings was provided..Testing the ClaimsIn late October 2025, Southern drove to the United States border to determine whether she was under any form of watch or restriction. She says border agents permitted entry without incident.“I just drove over the border to see if I could and nothing happened,” she said. “That was the nail in the coffin.”She also provided testimony before a House of Commons standing committee studying foreign interference. Southern says committee questions focused almost entirely on her past political content and online presence rather than the indictment or Tenet Media.“They were calling me a bigot and talking about videos I made years ago,” she said..Warnings About Russian Influence in CanadaThe indictment and the surrounding public controversy occurred while security agencies in Canada, the United States, and allied governments issued escalating warnings about foreign state sponsored influence campaigns targeting domestic political discourse.In late 2024, former CSIS director Richard Fadden said Russian information campaigns had broadened beyond U.S. audiences and were actively targeting Canada.“If you think the Russians do not care about influencing Canadian thought, they care deeply,” Fadden said in a televised interview.Following the indictment, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc stated that any Canadian knowingly participating in a covert foreign influence operation would face consequences under Canadian law. As of November 2025, no legal action or further public investigation has been announced in Canada relating to the indictment..Southern Says Her Case Reflects Misplaced PrioritiesSouthern says her experience suggests that the focus of Canadian intelligence and parliamentary attention was political rather than grounded in national security.“I do not want us to lose an information war,” she said. “But this was not protecting Canada. This was political.”She also questioned the public cost associated with parliamentary hearings, intelligence monitoring, and related administrative time.“It would have been better for Canadians if all that money had just been distributed to young people to help them with their bills,” she said.Southern says she believes younger Canadians will become increasingly skeptical of intelligence agencies and government institutions because of cases like hers.“It really feels like we are at war with ourselves in Canada,” she said..No Response from CSISCSIS has not commented on Southern’s claims. The agency’s long-standing policy is to neither confirm nor deny operational activity involving individuals.Southern says she has no objection to journalists requesting comment.For now, she says the episode represents a deeper institutional problem.“This was intimidation, not national security work,” she said. “And Canadians deserve better.”
