Russian TV presenter named in Mueller report charged with sanctions violations
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Russian-American editor and political pundit Dimitri Simes speaks during the plenary of the SPIEF 2023 St.Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 16, 2023 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Photo: Contributor/Getty Images
The former president of the Center for the National Interest who was repeatedly named in the Mueller report on Russian interference in the 2016 election was charged with working for a sanctioned Russian television station and laundering the funds.
Why it matters: These charges follow a series of announcements from the Biden administration Wednesday targeting Russian influence schemes, one of which involved another state-owned network allegedly deceiving online commentators with the intent to amplify Kremlin propaganda.
- The indictment alleges Russian-born Dimitri Simes and his wife Anastasia Simes participated in a plot to violate sanctions to benefit Russian state-owned broadcaster Channel One Russia, which was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2022.
- Simes was a presenter for Channel One Russia and collected over $1 million from the network since it was sanctioned by the Treasury Department, the indictment alleges. He additionally received a personal car, a stipend for a Moscow apartment and a team of 10 employees.
- While illegally working for the network, the indictment alleges Simes spoke with several Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, and was instructed on how to cover certain topics, such as the war in Ukraine.
Driving the news: Simes' name was mentioned dozens of times in the 2019 Mueller report detailing Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election for his then-think tank's work with the Trump campaign.
- The report outlined his interactions with members of the former president's circle, including former President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
- It also details a foreign policy speech delivered by Trump at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., that Simes' think tank helped to organize.
- He was not charged with any crime related to the investigation and subsequent report, which read, "The investigation did not identify evidence that the Campaign passed or received any messages to or from the Russian government through CNI or Simes."
What they're saying: "These defendants allegedly violated sanctions that were put in place in response to Russia's illegal aggression in Ukraine," U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves said in a statement.
- "Such violations harm our national security interests—a fact that Dimitri Simes, with the deep experience he gained in national affairs after fleeing the Soviet Union and becoming a U.S. citizen, should have uniquely appreciated," he continued.
Zoom out: A second indictment announced Thursday detailed a scheme in which Anastasia Simes and others purchased art and antiques to benefit sanctioned oligarch Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov.
- Anastasia Simes would allegedly purchase items from galleries and auction houses in the United States and Europe, then ship the items to the Simes' home in Huntly, Va., where they were stored to be shipped to Russia.
- She was reimbursed in return and received a service fee, according to court filings.
State of play: The couple has a home in Virginia but is thought to be at large in Russia, the DOJ said in a release.
Go deeper: Russian influence scheme deceived right-wing content creators
