A former campaign advisor for Donald Trump has been indicted on charges related to media sanctions violations.
Dimitri Simes is being scrutinized alongside his wife, Anastasia, and a handful of hackers from Russia. The TV broadcaster previously worked with the former president’s 2016 campaign. But now he is accused of colluding with Channel One Russia, a state media organization that is banned from the United States under sanctions laws.
Five others from Russia—who are believed to have connections to the country’s GRU intelligence agency—were charged on suspicion of hacking systems in the Ukrainian government before the embattled country was invaded by Russia in February 2022.
Simes is accused on Thursday September 5 of accepting over $1 million from Channel One Russia. His wife is suspected of having assisted a Russian oligarch to bypass the sanctions laws through buying antique articles and paintings and shipping them off to Russia. In addition to his advisory role in the 2016 GOP campaign, Simes has also led the Center for the National Interest think tank for many years.
The now legally embattled advisor had a home with his wife in Virginia, but they are said to be in Russia as the indictment unfolds. The Rappahannock County residence was raided with a search warrant back in August, a move that was decried by Simes even in his absence.
According to the Department of Justice’s National Security Division assistant attorney general, Matthew Olsen, this is not the first time hackers have attacked key Ukrainian systems. He explained that the WhisperGate efforts of the GRU is a sign of the country’s “abhorrent disregard” for civilians as it worked to hack government systems without military value ahead of its “unjust invasion” of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the United States has also recently accused two individuals working for the RT Russian media group of having collaborated with an American business to spread misinformation and pro-Russia content before the upcoming presidential election. A total of 23 websites being used by the country to unlawfully sway the election were obtained by the United States last week.
