FBI Raids US Ranch of Russian State TV Host Dmitry Simes

FBI agents have been searching the property of Russian state TV host Dmitry Simes in Virginia for several days.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been conducting a search at the home of Russian state TV host Dmitry Simes in Huntly, Virginia, for several days, according to a local newspaper. The raid began on August 14, 2024, and is still ongoing.

Simes, 76, is a frequent guest on Russian state television, where he often appears as a political analyst. He has also worked as an unofficial advisor to former US President Richard Nixon and was the head of the Nixon Center, a conservative think tank, for many years.

In 2016, Simes was a foreign policy advisor to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and became a focus of the investigation into Russian interference in the US election.

In recent years, Simes has become increasingly reliant on income from his appearances on Russian state TV, as the Nixon Center has lost some of its funding. In 2019, he earned 14 million rubles ($217,000) from Channel One, and in 2021, he earned 37.8 million rubles ($512,000). After receiving this income, Simes purchased the ranch that is now being searched by the FBI.

The FBI has not released any details about the search, citing an ongoing investigation. Simes has said that he is “concerned” about the raid and is “trying to figure out” how to respond.

The raid on Simes’ ranch is part of a larger pattern of increased scrutiny of Russian nationals in the United States. In recent months, the FBI has also raided the homes of several other Russian oligarchs and businessmen.

The US government has accused Russia of interfering in the 2016 presidential election and of engaging in other malicious activities in the United States. The FBI’s raid on Simes’ ranch is likely part of an effort to gather evidence of these activities.