FBI Raids Residence of Dimitri Simes, Former Trump Campaign Advisor

FBI agents have raided the Virginia home of Dimitri Simes, a Russian-born political analyst who advised Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, leaving many questions unanswered.

At a Glance

The FBI raided Dimitri Simes’s Virginia home on August 13.
Simes advised Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Simes was mentioned over 100 times in the 2019 Mueller report but cleared of wrongdoing.
Simes said officials did not notify him of the raid; he was out of the country.
The FBI confirmed the raid was court-authorized but declined further details.

The FBI Raid

FBI agents raided and searched the home of Dimitri Simes in Virginia on August 13. Simes, who is an author and policy analyst, advised Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and was mentioned numerous times in the 2019 Mueller report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. However, he was cleared of wrongdoing in the report.

Simes was out of the country during the raid and was not notified beforehand, he said. He expressed concern and confusion, stating, “I’m puzzled and concerned. I have not seen a warrant. I was not contacted by any law enforcement or anyone else whatsoever.”

“Simes was among those who figured prominently in Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe of potential Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. The report concluded that Simes did not act as an intermediary between the Trump campaign and Moscow.” https://t.co/A3RJR8DBoD

— Daniel Strauss (@DanielStrauss4) August 16, 2024

Connections to Trump and Russia

Simes has significant connections to Russia and U.S. politics. He emigrated from Moscow in 1973 and served as an informal foreign policy adviser to President Richard Nixon. He also led the Center for the National Interest for nearly three decades until his retirement in 2022.

Since advising Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, Simes has hosted a current affairs program on Russia’s state-run Channel One and continued to maintain associations with Russian political figures, including moderating a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Simes spoke about the raid, claiming it was “clearly an attempt to intimidate, not only somebody from Russia, but just anyone who goes against official policies and particularly against the deep state.”

According to his son, Dimitri Simes Jr, Simes has not been in the U.S. since October 2022. Simes Jr accused the Biden administration of attempting to disrupt efforts to de-escalate tensions with Russia.

Broader Context of Russian Interference Case

The 2019 Mueller report mentioned Simes over 100 times in connection to Russian interference in the 2016 election. However, the report cleared both Simes and the Center for the National Interest of any wrongdoing. Simes had previously facilitated a significant foreign-policy speech advocating for greater cooperation with Russia.

Despite being cleared, Simes continued to attract scrutiny. Recently, the FBI also raided the New York home of Scott Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector and contributor to Russian media who has supported Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

In June, U.S. authorities seized Ritter’s passport to prevent him from attending the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Meanwhile, Simes claimed he suspects that the raid serves as a means to ensure he does not return to the U.S.

FBI’s Summary and Response

The FBI confirmed that the raid was court-authorized but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing nature of the matter. Simes compared the raid to previous law enforcement actions against Trump and his associates, including Rudy Giuliani. He said that numerous Americans have faced similar actions, becoming subjects of search, arrest, or financial ruin.

Despite the legal proceedings and scrutiny, Simes has said that he is unaware of being the focus of any law-enforcement investigation. The political and legal ramifications of this raid are still unclear.