Russian TV presenter Dimitri Simes and his wife, Anastasia, have been charged with violating U.S. sanctions to benefit the Russian broadcaster Channel One.
The charges include conspiracy to break the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), general conspiracy, and money laundering. If found guilty, they could each face up to 20 years in prison for each charge.
The Justice Department revealed these charges after the FBI raided the couple’s Virginia home on August 16. They are accused of helping Channel One, a Russian state-owned broadcaster sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022. Dimitri Simes, who worked as a presenter and producer for the channel, allegedly received $1 million, a car and driver, an apartment stipend in Moscow, and a team of 10 employees.
Simes, 76, who was born in Moscow, became a U.S. citizen in 1973 and served as an adviser to Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign. He also arranged a key foreign policy speech for Trump in 2016, promoting better relations with Russia. According to a 2019 report by special counsel Robert Mueller, Simes provided Trump’s adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, with talking points about Russia.
Additionally, the Justice Department charged Anastasia Simes separately for allegedly participating in a scheme involving Russian oligarch Aleksandr Udodov. She is accused of helping with the buying, selling, and shipping of art from the U.S. to Russia, and receiving payments for these services. Udodov was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2023.
The couple is believed to be in Russia and remains at large. Dimitri Simes was also a close adviser to President Richard Nixon and led the Center for the National Interest until he retired in 2022.
