Earlier this week, the FBI raided the Virginia home of Dimitri Simes, a Russian-born policy analyst who advised Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Simes, who has been living in Russia since October 2022, claims the raid was a response to his outspoken criticism of the Deep State and President Biden’s Ukraine policy. “This is clearly an attempt to intimidate not just someone from Russia, but anyone who challenges official policies, especially those of the deep state,” Simes told Sputnik News.
Simes suggested that the true purpose of the raid was to deter him from returning to the United States. “Instead of trying to bring me back to the U.S. for interrogation or arrest, I believe their goal is to ensure I don’t return,” he said.
In addition to the raid, Simes reported that his bank account, which he uses to pay the mortgage on his Virginia home, has been frozen.
Simes’ name appeared more than 130 times in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s 2019 report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Despite this, Simes insisted to Rappahannock News that he was unaware of being the target of any ongoing law enforcement investigation.
His son, Dimitri Simes Jr., echoed concerns about the raid’s true intent, suggesting it was meant to intimidate his father and prevent his return to the U.S. Simes was a key figure mentioned during Mueller’s investigation, which scrutinized various connections and events related to alleged Trump-Russia collusion, including the proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow, and meetings with Russian officials.
The recent raid has raised questions about its timing and motives, given Simes’ critical stance against U.S. policies.