Dmitry Peskov, Putin spokesman, says ‘too much fuss’ over Mueller probe

The Kremlin denied involvement Thursday in the recent leak of court documents provided by special counsel Robert Mueller’s office to lawyers linked to the Internet Research Agency, a Russian “troll farm” charged with interfering in the 2016 U.S. elections.

“No, we do not know anything about it,” said Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, state-owned media reported.

“There has been too much fuss over the Mueller investigation,” Mr. Peskov added, according to TASS, a government-owned news agency. “The Mueller probe is surrounded by mayhem,” another state-funded site quoted Mr. Putin’s spokesman as saying.

Mr. Peskov’s comments came on the heels of federal prosecutors revealing in a court filing Wednesday that evidence produced by the special counsel’s team and provided to lawyers for defendants in the government’s case against Concord Management and Consulting LLC, a Russian company accused of operating the Internet Research Agency, was subsequently leaked online late last year.

“Certain non-sensitive discovery materials in the defense’s possession appear to have been altered and disseminated as part of a disinformation campaign aimed (apparently) at discrediting ongoing investigations into Russian interference in the U.S. political system,” the court filings said.

Based in St. Petersburg, the Internet Research Agency employed social media users accused of weaponizing social media platforms to peddle politically-charged disinformation and propaganda leading up to the 2016 U.S. presidential race, according to federal prosecutors.

Mr. Mueller was appointed to investigate alleged Russian election meddling and related matters in May 2017, and his office filed related criminal charges last year against 13 Russian nationals accused of interfering in the race, including Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian businessman close to Mr. Putin accused helming Concord and facilitating the so-called troll farm’s operations.

A total of 34 people have been charged as a result of the special counsel’s probe, including most recently Roger Stone, a longtime Republican strategist and former adviser to President Trump’s 2016 campaign. Mr. Stone, 64, was charged in a seven-count indictment unsealed in D.C. federal court last week charging him with lying to Congress, obstruction and witness tampering. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.