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The Department of Justice charged a former Trump campaign adviser and his wife for violating sanctions by working with a Russian state-controlled news outlet and helping a Russian oligarch evade US & EU sanctions.

What’s the deal: The DOJ unsealed an indictment against Dimitri Simes, a former Trump campaign adviser, and his wife, Anastasia Simes, on charges of violating US sanctions and money laundering. The indictment alleges that the couple worked with Channel One Russia, a sanctioned Russian state broadcaster, by providing services, including Dimitri Simes’ role as a presenter and producer, in exchange for over $1 million, housing, and other benefits in Moscow.  

What’s the deal with the wife?: According to the indictment, prosecutors allege that Simes’s wife helped Russian oligarch Aleksandr Udodov evade sanctions by purchasing art and antiques from galleries and auction houses in the US and Europe. The US claims she acquired these items, which were stored at their residence in Virginia before being shipped to Russia. By acting as a middleman and receiving payments from Udodov, the DOJ says Anastasia broke US sanction laws and helped Udodov acquire luxury goods in the US & Europe. If convicted, she faces a maximum of 20 years behind bars.

Digging Deeper:  Simes, a former adviser to Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and leader of the Washington DC-based think tank Center for the National Interest, fled to Russia with his wife as investigations into their activities intensified.  

According to the DOJ, neither Dimitri nor his wife were arrested. They are believed to be at large in Russia.