Former Trump campaign adviser Dimitri Simes has been charged with violating U.S. sanctions and laundering money, according to Simes’ indictments released Thursday.
Simes, 76, is accused of participating in a “scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of sanctioned Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia and to launder funds obtained from that scheme.” Simes, along with his wife Anastasia, 55, reportedly received “over $1 million, a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and a team of ten employees from Channel One Russia.”
Both were charged with “one count of conspiracy to violate (International Emergency Economic Powers Act), one count of violating IEEPA and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering,” in the first indictment. However, the FBI added, “They remain at large and are believed to be in Russia.”
The DOJ alleged that as early as May 25, 2018, Simes had “entered into a contract with Channel One Russia” to produce a show called The Great Game at a salary of $67,814 per month, which has totaled to $3,590,000 in payments through the duration of the contract.
Owen Lavine is a senior journalism student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, a breaking news reporter at The Daily Beast, and an intern reporter for the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
This article was originally published on The Daily Beast and partially republished here, with permission.
