DOJ Launches Russia Collusion Investigation In Effort To Combat Russian Election Influence

The Department of Justice (DOJ) launched an investigation into Americans with ties to Russian state media this month in what it says is an attempt to prevent Russia from influencing U.S. elections, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided the home of United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter on August 7 and the home of 2016 Trump campaign adviser Dimitri K. Simes on August 13, according to the NYT. Both men have links to Russia’s state television networks, with Ritter working as a contributing writer for Russian global news channel RT and Simes hosting a weekly talk show on Russian broadcaster Channel One.

The investigation is reportedly centered around a law requiring lobbyists to disclose they are operating on behalf of a foreign country as well as violations of economic sanctions against Russia, the outlet claimed.

Simes, a Soviet-born American citizen who served as an adviser to former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, denies the claims, telling Russian media organization Sputnik that the DOJ investigation is an “attempt to intimidate, not only somebody from Russia, but just anyone who goes against official policies and particularly against the deep state.”

Ritter, who is an “outspoken defender” of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to the NYT, also denies the allegations, claiming he believes his views have made him the target of a deeper national security interest.

“The only reason why I can believe that they’re doing this,” Ritter told the NYT in an interview, “is if there’s some national security interest where they believe somehow I am actively conspiring with Russia against the interests of the United States, that I have become more than just a propagandist, that I become something more like, you know, a weapon of disinformation.”

The investigation follows a July 9 announcement from the DOJ stating they had uncovered and were attempting to stop a Russian influence campaign that sought to use a “generative AI-enhanced social media bot farm” to undermine international support for Ukraine and escalate political partisanship in the U.S., Europe and Israel, the NYT reported.

“Moscow is leveraging Russia-based influence-for-hire firms to shape public opinion in the United States, including with election-related operations,” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a July 29 statement. “These firms have created influence platforms, directly and discreetly engaged Americans, and used improved tools to tailor content for U.S. audiences, while hiding Russia’s hand.”

The DOJ declined to comment.