The homes of two Americans with connections to Russian state media, including a former United Nations weapons inspector and an adviser to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, were searched by the FBI earlier this month.
A home in Delmar, New York, was connected to Scott Ritter, a former United Nations weapons inspector and a vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy. Similarly, another residence in Virginia was associated with Dimitri K. Simes, an advisor to Trump’s initial presidential campaign in 2016.
When questioned about the media reports on the searches, the FBI confirmed that it had conducted “court authorized law enforcement activity at certain locations” on Wednesday.
U.S. intelligence has identified Russia as the primary threat to U.S. elections, emphasizing that Moscow employs a wide range of sophisticated tools to support a specific candidate and create divisions. Russia, however, denies these allegations.
The U.S. Justice Department has initiated a wider criminal investigation into individuals who have collaborated with Russia’s state television networks, as reported by The New York Times on Wednesday. U.S. officials familiar with the inquiry have revealed this information. The FBI declined to provide any additional comments on the matter.
The unnamed officials mentioned in the Times report anticipate further investigations and the potential filing of criminal charges. As of now, there haven’t been any charges brought against Simes and Ritter by the prosecutors.
During an interview with Sputnik, Dmitry Simes, the host of a talk show on Russian state television broadcaster Channel One, expressed his belief that the FBI search was intended to intimidate and discredit him. He also stated that it could potentially hinder his ability to live or visit the United States, as well as harm his financial situation.
Ritter, who underwent conviction in 2011 through a jury in an online sting operation involving underage sex, has revealed that the FBI conducted a search at his home. The search was reportedly connected to concerns raised by the U.S. government regarding his alleged violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. This law mandates individuals to disclose any political activities they engage in on behalf of foreign governments.
He denies the violations and claims that the search was a form of retribution for his criticism of U.S. foreign policy, particularly in relation to Ukraine. He emphasized that he fully cooperated with the search.
In a recent article published by Russia Today, Ritter revealed that he has been working as an external contributor for the media outlet since April 2020.
