FBI raids homes of Americans linked to Russian state media

The FBI has raided the homes of two Americans who have ties to Russian state media. Scott Ritter, a former United Nations weapons inspector and critic of U.S. foreign policy, had his New York residence searched on Aug. 7. Dimitri Simes, a Soviet-born U.S. citizen with a history of advising former presidents and advocating for improved relations with Russia, saw his Virginia home searched on Aug. 13.

The raids come amid heightened concerns from U.S. officials about potential Russian attempts to influence the upcoming November presidential election.

The Biden administration’s intelligence findings reveal that Russian state news organizations are collaborating with intelligence agencies to sway elections around the world, including the upcoming November contest between former President Trump and soon-to-be Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

U.S. intelligence agencies said Russia is the “predominant threat” to American elections by employing a sophisticated array of tactics to influence outcomes and sow discord among voters. Those tactics include plans to wage information campaigns against voters and build on past accusations of social media disinformation and bot farm usage in the 2016 and 2020 elections.

Both Ritter and Simes have expressed concerns about the impact of these investigations on their personal and professional lives, with Simes characterizing the FBI search as an attempt to intimidate and discredit him.

Ritter told The New York Times the raid is “an absolute frontal assault on the Constitution of the United States.”

While no charges have been filed yet, prosecutors are considering potential criminal indictments as the probe intensifies.