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The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a broad criminal investigation into Americans working with Russian state-run television channels ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.
That’s according to The New York Times, Ukrinform reports.
This month, FBI agents searched the homes of two prominent American citizens with ties to Russian state media: Scott Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector and critic of U.S. foreign policy, and Dimitri Simes, an adviser to former President Donald Trump during his first presidential campaign in 2016.
So far, no charges have been pressed.
According to the publication’s sources, additional searches are expected soon. Criminal prosecution is also on the table.
It is noted that the investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice follows the official conclusions of the US intelligence agencies that Russian state news channels, including the propaganda TV channel Russia Today, cooperated with Russian intelligence to meddle in elections around the world.
The targets of those efforts include the U.S. presidential election, where Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are the main contenders.
Officials say the Kremlin’s propaganda machine is supporting Trump for the third time, creating pseudo-news outlets and fake videos to smear President Joe Biden and, more recently, Kamala Harris.
The Justice Department’s investigation is currently focused on potential violations of sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine and a law requiring disclosure of lobbying efforts on behalf of foreign governments.
The presidential elections in the USA will be held on November 5.
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