DOJ indicts former Trump campaign adviser, Russian intel officers in new cases

The Justice Department announced additional actions against Russian figures Thursday, filing charges against a former Trump campaign adviser and his wife, as well as several Russian intelligence hackers who targeted Ukrainian assets.

Dimitri Simes, who through his think tank was an adviser to former President Trump’s 2016 campaign, along with his wife, Anastasia Simes, are alleged to have violated sanctions laws in aiding Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia, which is prohibited from operating in the U.S.

Simes served as a presenter and producer for the channel, and allegedly received more than $1 million in payments as well as “a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and a team of 10 employees from Channel One Russia.” Channel One Russia has been sanctioned under the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Anastasia Simes also allegedly aided in another effort to evade sanctions against a Russian oligarch by surreptitiously purchasing art and antiques on his behalf and later shipping them to Russia.

Also Thursday in Baltimore, prosecutors announced a superseding indictment that added five more Russian individuals to a case prosecuting those involved in hacking Ukrainian government systems ahead of Russia’s invasion of the country. A prior indictment charged just one of the men involved, while the new indictment adds charges for five individuals it says work for Russia’s GRU intelligence service.

In both cases, the defendants are at large, and the U.S. is offering a $10 million reward for anyone who can provide information on the GRU members’ whereabouts or activities.

“The GRU’s WhisperGate campaign, including targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure and government systems of no military value, is emblematic of Russia’s abhorrent disregard for innocent civilians as it wages its unjust invasion,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division said in a release announcing the indictment.

The indictment alleges “these GRU hackers and their co-conspirator engaged in a conspiracy to hack into, exfiltrate data from, leak information obtained from and destroy computer systems associated with the Ukrainian Government in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The defendants did so in order to sow concern among Ukrainian citizens regarding the safety of their government systems and personal data.”

The two additional cases targeting Russian citizens come one day after after the Justice Department unsealed an indictment brought against two Russians accused of working with American companies to promote content designed to sow political divisions in the U.S. and promote pro-Russia views.

And in another action Wednesday, the Justice Department announced it had seized 23 different websites it says were used by Russians to peddle misinformation or otherwise seek to influence the 2024 election.

In doing so, they released exhibits that included dual-language planning documents to “amplify domestic divisions” and “secur[e] Russia’s preferred outcome in the election.”

Though redacted, it’s clear from the documents that Russia prefers the Republican Party win the election, specifically Trump, noting his “America first” view that limits involvement in world affairs. The documents also repeatedly note the need to sway U.S. opinion regarding Ukraine, including accepting ceding of Ukrainian territory to Russia.

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