The US Department of Justice announced on Thursday that it has filed charges against Dimitri Simes, a Russian-born US citizen and former adviser to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, for violations related to US sanctions and money laundering. Simes is accused of collaborating with a sanctioned Russian state television network and laundering the resulting proceeds. Detailed information is available here.
The first indictment alleges that Simes, along with his wife, participated in a scheme designed to help Channel One Russia circumvent US sanctions enforced by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on May 8, 2022. These sanctions were applied for being under the control or acting on behalf of the Russian government. Further details can be reviewed in the DOJ’s announcement.
In this scheme, the couple allegedly laundered more than $1 million and received perks such as a personal car and a driver. The activities reportedly began in June 2022. The first indictment adds substantial weight to these claims.
The second indictment implicates Anastasia Simes, Dimitri’s wife, with similar sanctions violations for aiding sanctioned Russian oligarch Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov. Since Udodov’s sanctioning in February 2023, Anastasia allegedly purchased art and antiques from US and European galleries, storing them in her Virginia home before shipping them to Russia. She then received reimbursements and service fees for facilitating these transactions while laundering money to cover up the illegal activities. For more on these charges, refer to the second indictment.
Dimitri Simes and the Washington think tank he led, the Center for the National Interest, were pivotal in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election and its possible connections with the Trump campaign. The Mueller report emphasized Simes’ interactions with Trump’s inner circle, including sharing talking points on Russia with Jared Kushner.
These recent indictments occur in the context of heightened concern over Russia’s continued efforts to interfere in US elections through disinformation and propaganda. Only recently, federal authorities charged two RT employees with secretly funding a Tennessee company that generated pro-Russian content, a matter detailed here.
US Attorney Matthew M. Graves stated in his announcement of the charges that the alleged actions by Dimitri Simes harmed national security interests, noting that Simes should have been keenly aware of the implications given his background in national affairs after fleeing the Soviet Union and obtaining US citizenship. These combined legal actions underscore ongoing efforts to enforce sanctions and curb illicit financial activities linked to foreign interference in US politics.