Facebook Inc. removed a U.S.-based network of accounts with fake personas commenting on news links to try to sway public opinion in President Donald Trump’s favor ahead of the election.

The accounts, which started in 2018 and continued through this year, engaged in “criticism of the Democratic party and presidential candidate Joe Biden and praise of President Trump and the Republican party,” Facebook said in a report.

The commenters posted about elections, COVID-19 and policy matters, weighing in most frequently on Facebook pages of the Washington Post, Fox News, MSNBC, CNN and The New York Times.

Facebook pulled the network of accounts for inauthentic activity. The company linked the group to Rally Forge, a U.S. marketing firm, working for Turning Point USA and the Inclusive Conservation Group.

Rally Forge is now banned from Facebook, as is their influence effort of 200 Facebook accounts, 55 pages and 76 Instagram accounts. The group also spent about US$973,000 in Facebook ads.