The Department of Justice (DOJ) opened an investigation this month into Americans with ties to Russian state-controlled media outlets in an effort to prevent Russia from influencing U.S. elections, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
FBI agents searched the home of United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter on Aug. 7 and the home of 2016 Trump campaign adviser Dimitri K. Symes on Aug. 13, according to the FBI. The New York TimesBoth men have ties to Russian state television: Ritter works as a contributing writer for Russia's international news channel RT, while Simes hosts a weekly talk show on Russia's Channel 1.
The media said the investigation focuses on violations of laws requiring lobbyists to disclose whether they are working for a foreign country and on economic sanctions against Russia.
Dmitry Simes is a regular guest on the popular Russian TV show “The Great Game,” where he co-hosts the show with Vyacheslav Nikonov, a staunch pro-Kremlin supporter and grandson of Stalin's protege Vyacheslav Molotov. https://t.co/p3xHpIJRIX pic.twitter.com/pMEBnf9Trg
— Cass (@mopeng) August 16, 2024
Sims, a Soviet-born American who served as an adviser to former President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, denies the allegations. tell Russian media organization Sputnik said the Justice Department's investigation was an “attempt to intimidate not only Russians, but anyone who opposes official policies, especially the deep state.”
Ritter, an “open defender” of Russian aggression in Ukraine, according to The New York Times, denies the allegations, arguing that his views are subject to deeper national security concerns.
“The only reason I believe they're doing this is because they believe I'm actively colluding with Russia against the interests of the United States for some national security interest, and that I've become more than just a propagandist — it's like a weapon of disinformation,” Ritter told The New York Times in an interview.
The investigation comes after the Justice Department announced on July 9 that it was trying to uncover and disrupt a Russian influence campaign that used “AI-powered social media bot farms” to undermine international support for Ukraine and stoke political partisanship in the United States, Europe and Israel, The New York Times reported. Reported.
“Moscow is using Russia-based influence contractors to shape public opinion in the United States, including through election-related operations,” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a July 29 statement. statement“These companies have built influence platforms, engaged directly and discreetly with Americans, and used improved tools to tailor content for U.S. audiences while hiding Russia's hand.”
The Justice Department declined to comment.
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