Dmitri K. Simes, who was an adviser to Donald J. Trump’s first campaign, and his wife, Anastasia Simes, are accused of violating U.S. sanctions.
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Dmitri K. Simes with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in a photo released by Russian state media. Mr. Simes was accused of violating U.S. sanctions for his work with a state-owned television station.
The Justice Department indicted an American commentator for Russian television on Thursday, part of a broader effort by the U.S. government to crack down on Russia’s attempts to influence American politics.
Dmitri K. Simes, who was an adviser to Donald J. Trump’s first presidential campaign, and his wife, Anastasia Simes, were charged with violating U.S. sanctions for their work for Channel One Russia, a state-owned television station.
The indictments come as the United States has been cracking down on Russian efforts to influence the election, in particular by using content from Russian broadcasters. Mr. Simes, who was a Virginia resident but now lives in Russia, is a regular commentator for Channel One Russia.
On Wednesday, two employees of another Russian state broadcaster, RT, were indicted on a charge of spending nearly $10 million to have pro-Russia messages spread from a Tennessee company that created and publicized commentary from right-wing, pro-Trump influencers.
The Justice Department charged both Simeses with violating the International Emergency Powers Act through their work for Channel One. They received more than $1 million, a car and driver and an apartment stipend.
Ms. Simes was also charged with money laundering and with helping a Russian oligarch, Aleksandr Udodov, evade U.S. sanctions. The Justice Department said Ms. Simes purchased art and antiques for the benefit of Mr. Udonov and had the items shipped to her Virginia home.
The case was filed in Washington, D.C., and the Justice Department’s KleptoCapture task force, formed to go after illicit wealth of pro-Kremlin oligarchs, was involved in the investigation.
Kitty Bennett contributed research.
Julian E. Barnes covers the U.S. intelligence agencies and international security matters for The Times. He has written about security issues for more than two decades. More about Julian E. Barnes
Steven Lee Myers covers misinformation and disinformation from San Francisco. Since joining The Times in 1989, he has reported from around the world, including Moscow, Baghdad, Beijing and Seoul. More about Steven Lee Myers
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Source: nytimes.com
