The Department of Justice, led by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, is investigating individuals in the U.S. with connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin's state television networks. This inquiry is part of a broader effort to prevent potential Kremlin interference in the 2024 presidential election, as reported by The New York Times.
This development follows recent FBI searches at the homes of Scott Ritter, a former United Nations weapons inspector, U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer, and convicted sex offender, and Dimitri Simes, a Russian-born former adviser on Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
According to The Times and U.S. officials familiar with the case, the FBI is expected to conduct more searches and has not dismissed the possibility of criminal charges.
Ritter has frequently appeared on Russian state media, often echoing Kremlin viewpoints on Putin's conflict with Ukraine. Simes hosts a weekly current affairs show on Russia's state-run Channel One.
In January, Ritter visited Chechnya, where he offered a message of "friendship" between the U.S. and Chechnya during a speech in Grozny, the capital. Ritter expressed a desire to foster goodwill between the two regions and predicted a Russian victory in Ukraine. He remarked, "America isn't a bad place. American people are like you. Good people. The state is a different matter. That's politics. I'm not a politician. I'm a soldier, like you."
Simes, who has not been in the U.S. since 2022, characterized the FBI raid as an "attempt to intimidate" those opposing U.S. policies or the "deep state," in an interview with Russia's state-run Sputnik News. Ritter also commented on the situation, describing it as a perilous time for Americans and accusing the U.S. government of attempting to deceive and manipulate its citizens.
In late July, the Foreign Malign Influence Center (FMIC), a U.S. intelligence agency operating under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, warned of Russian attempts to influence the upcoming election between Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. The FMIC highlighted that Kremlin-affiliated groups are increasingly deploying actors and influence-for-hire firms based in Russia to shape U.S. public opinion and impact the election.
The agency reported that these firms have developed influence platforms and engaged Americans directly and discreetly, using sophisticated tools to tailor content for U.S. audiences while concealing their Russian origins. "Russian influence actors have made concerted efforts this election cycle to build and leverage networks of U.S. and Western figures to propagate Russian-friendly narratives," the FMIC stated. The report emphasized Moscow's ongoing use of a broad array of influence tactics and actors to better disguise its involvement, expand its reach, and create content that resonates with American audiences.
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