A former producer for the Fox propaganda network who now works for Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev’s Tsargrad TV network has been charged by federal prosecutors for violating sanctions against Russia for its 2014 invasion of Crimea. Reuters reports.
John Hanick was detained in London in February and the United States is seeking his extradition so he can be prosecuted. The 71-year-old moved to Moscow in 2013 to work for Malofeyev’s conservative, Russian Orthodox network, and he has since tried to transfer funds paid by Malofeyev to a US bank, a violation of the sanctions.
Although he denies the accusation, Malofeyev is accused of personally funding pro-Moscow separatist terrorist groups in Eastern Ukraine seeking the secession of areas in Crimea.
“Konstantin Malofeyev is closely tied to Russian aggression in Ukraine,” Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement. “The indictment unsealed today shows this office’s commitment to enforcement of laws intended to hamstring those who would use their wealth to undermine fundamental democratic processes.”