Lauren Chen attended the White House Easter event after returning to the United States with help she attributed to Trump administration officials. Forbes reported her attendance on April 9, 2026, months after Chen said officials helped her return. The episode brought renewed attention to allegations surrounding Tenet Media, the company Chen co-founded.
The Justice Department alleged in 2024 that Tenet Media received laundered Russian money to produce pro-Russia content. Chen has disputed claims that Russian entities funded the company. Her appearance at the event did not resolve those allegations, and the source reported no new filing or announcement that changed the case.
Chen Said Officials Helped Her Return
Chen announced her attendance in two social media posts, Forbes reported. They included photographs of Chen and Liam Donovan, her Tenet Media co-founder, on the White House lawn.
Chen said she had been forced to leave the country in 2024 after her work visa was not renewed. She connected that decision to an indictment involving Tenet Media. The Justice Department had alleged that the company received laundered money from Russia to create propaganda. The department had not commented on Chen’s account of why she left.
In December 2025, Chen said she had returned with help from State Department adviser Joe Rittenhouse and “the new leadership at the FBI.” Forbes said the Justice Department, State Department, FBI and Chen did not immediately respond to comment requests.
The Tenet Media Case Remains Allegation-Based
In September 2024, the United States indicted two employees of RT, a Russian state-run outlet. Prosecutors alleged they laundered roughly $10 million through Tenet Media while promoting pro-Russia propaganda through content on the site. The source did not report additional court documents in cases involving either employee.
Six right-wing influencers linked to Tenet Media, including Benny Johnson, Tim Pool and David Rubin, said they did not know about Russian influence or the source of the funds. Prosecutors said at least two Tenet employees had been deceived about the funding source. The Justice Department also alleged the company did not disclose that RT funded and directed it and did not register as a foreign government-backed entity.
Chen disputed claims that Russian entities funded Tenet Media. She said the company never directed creators to promote an agenda and that she often did not see content before publication. She rejected claims that creators’ opinions represented Russian propaganda.
The Justice Department said the FBI was investigating the case at the time of the 2024 indictment. Forbes said it was unclear whether that probe remained active. Chen said in September 2025 that officials had not announced that an investigation into her company had “finally been closed.” The report did not establish that the investigation had ended.
Earlier Allegations Still Frame the Story
The source cited comments by Pool and Johnson about Ukraine and an alleged effort by Tenet’s founders to steer one commentator’s coverage of an attack near Moscow. Those details appeared as allegations, not findings of guilt against the creators.
After the indictment, YouTube removed four channels associated with Chen, including her main channel, and her Blaze Media contract was reportedly terminated. Profiles for her past work with Blaze Media and Turning Point USA were later taken down.
Grit Daily has separately reported fraud charges against founder Gökçe Güven; that article is available here. A separate story covers a media company launched by Justin Trudeau and Katie Telford: read that report. Another Grit Daily article reports a leadership reorganization at Iveco Group: see the company update. These articles are related reading and make no claim about Tenet Media.
The April 2026 appearance was a later public development in a story rooted in the 2024 indictment and Chen’s subsequent statements. The available reporting left key questions open: the Justice Department had not commented on Chen’s account, the status of the FBI inquiry was unclear, and no new court documents had been filed in the cases described.
