FBI Probes Individuals Linked to Russian State Media Before 2024 Election

The Department of Justice is currently investigating several individuals linked to Russian state media, following recent alerts from federal officials about the Kremlin’s efforts to sway the upcoming presidential election through media influence.

As part of this investigation, the FBI has executed searches involving various individuals, including former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter and foreign policy analyst Dimitri Simes. Reports from U.S. officials briefed on the ongoing inquiry were shared with The New York Times.

Neither Ritter nor Simes has been charged with any crimes, and the FBI has declined to comment on the investigation when approached by The Independent.

Ritter, who has been a contributor to the Russian state-controlled network Russia Today (RT) since 2020, experienced an FBI search at his New York state residence on August 7. During this search, agents were observed removing various items, including mobile phones, computers, and hard drives.

In a statement to Spotlight News on the day of the search, Ritter expressed his concern, stating, “I’m being targeted because I have made an effort to try to improve relations between the United States and Russia, to try to bring about arms control. To try to bring about peace. Apparently, someone in the U.S. government takes umbrage at this.”

On August 13, a property owned by Simes, who previously led the Center for the National Interest think tank, was also searched. The FBI confirmed the execution of a court-authorized law enforcement action but refrained from providing additional comments, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.

Simes, who used to host a program on Russia’s Channel One network, expressed confusion over the investigation to the Russian news outlet Sputnik earlier this month. He suggested that the targeting is part of a broader effort to intimidate not just him but anyone who opposes official U.S. policies, especially those resistant to the so-called deep state.

Notably, Simes was cited in the Mueller report, which scrutinized Russian interference in the 2016 election, where he allegedly relayed what he believed to be damaging information regarding then-candidate Hillary Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump. However, Simes was not charged with any misconduct in the Mueller report.

He also mentioned that he had not set foot in the United States since 2022.

Last month, the office of the U.S. Director of National Intelligence raised alarms about Russian officials using the media to exert influence over U.S. political affairs. In a public assessment, the DNI reported, “Russian influence actors have undertaken distinct efforts during this election cycle to build and use networks of U.S. and other Western personalities to create and disseminate Russian-friendly narratives.”

The assessment went on to detail that these individuals engage with audiences on social media, contribute to various platforms with known or unknown ties to the Russian government, and perform other media-related activities.

The investigation into possible Russian influence on U.S. elections is particularly contentious, given that previous inquiries, particularly those stemming from the 2016 elections, resulted in damaging revelations about both political candidates. These probes have also led to accusations from Trump, asserting that the justice system was being manipulated by his political adversaries to hinder his rise to power.