The Congressional Radio and TV Correspondents' gallery announced Wednesday that it had voted to withdraw the news credentials for the Russian government-funded RT television network.
Craig Caplan, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Congressional Radio and Television Correspondents' Galleries, wrote in a letter that the decision came "in response to the registration of RT Network's operating company, T&R Productions, LLC (T&R), as a foreign agent."
NEW: Radio-TV Congressional Association withdraws RT's press credentials, effective immediately; the move comes after RT registered as a foreign agent. pic.twitter.com/2M69bqQLbi
— ABC News (@ABC) November 29, 2017
RT's registration as a foreign agent, announced by the Justice Department on Nov. 13, described the network as an agent for "the Russian government entity responsible for the worldwide broadcast of the RT Network," according to the committee's letter.
The committee explained that news credentials may not be used by any applicant who represents, or is employed by, a foreign government.
"The rules of the Galleries state clearly that news credentials may not be issued to any applicant employed 'by a foreign government or representative thereof,'" Caplan wrote.
"The withdrawal of RT Network's Accreditation is effective immediately," Caplan added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin founded RT in 2005, allocating a budget around $30 million that quickly ramped up to $300 million by 2010.
Many have called for action in response to RT's influence, especially after Russia was accused of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry denounced RT in 2014 as a "propaganda bullhorn" that benefits Putin in "distorting what is happening, or not happening, in Ukraine," Time reported.
RT's headquarters are located in Moscow while RT America (T&R) is based in Washington, D.C.
The Russian Embassy in the United States hit back against the Justice Department's request for RT to register earlier this month. Putin signed off on a law last week that allows the Kremlin to force foreign media outlets to register as foreign agents and requires them to disclose funding sources.