FBI raids New York, DC homes linked to Russian oligarch with Putin ties

The FBI on Tuesday raided homes in New York and Washington, DC, connected to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska in relation to an ongoing investigation.

Deripaska was previously named as a figure during the Russiagate scandal that plagued the previous Trump administration.

According to multiple outlets, the reasoning for searching the home wasn't made public knowledge, just that authorities were searching the homes owned by relatives of Deripaska. The details sussed out by Daily Mail is that this is a court-ordered action pertaining to a New York-based federal investigation.

"A source told DailyMail.com that Deripaska hasn't been back to the US since at least 2017 and had no intention of returning," the outlet said.

A spokesperson for Deripaska made it clear for NBC that these aren't the Russian oligarch's homes; they belong to relatives.

"The searches are being carried out on the basis of two court orders, connected to U.S. sanctions. The houses do not belong to Mr Deripaska," they said.

George Conway is noted to be the next-door neighbor in the case of the DC location. He said he never saw Deripaska at the house.

The former Trump administration was involved with sanctions against firms connected to the Russian oligarch during his time in the White House. Deripaska is heavily scrutinized for his ties to Russia's President Vlaidmir Putin.

Paul Manafort was once the chairman of former President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. With the investigation of reported Russian collusion by Congress during his administration, Manafort was put in the crosshairs. A reported connection between Manafort and Deripaska was a $10 million USD loan.

For Deripaska's part during this time, he downplayed any connection between himself and Manafort. Trump then pardoned Roger Stone, Manfort, and Charles Kushner in December 2020.