The FBI searched a Washington, D.C., residence linked to a prominent Russian oligarch

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Federal agents stand in front of a home of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

National Security
Russian Businessman With Ties To Ex-Trump Campaign Official Comes Under Scrutiny

Deripaska did business in the early 2000s with Paul Manafort, who later became Donald Trump’s campaign chairman during the 2016 presidential race. Deripaska’s relationship with Manafort later soured amid business and legal disputes.

Their relationship was detailed in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report from his investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

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Russian metals magnate Oleg Deripaska, pictured in 2016, has been sanctioned by the U.S. government and a residence of his was search in D.C. on Tuesday.

Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

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Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

Russian metals magnate Oleg Deripaska, pictured in 2016, has been sanctioned by the U.S. government and a residence of his was search in D.C. on Tuesday.

Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

In 2018, the U.S. Treasury slapped sanctions on Deripaska and six other Russian oligarchs as well as Russian companies and government officials.

The Treasury said Deripaska claims to act on behalf of the Russian government. It also said he’s been investigated for money laundering, accused of threatening business rivals, and taking part in extortion and racketeering.

«There are also allegations that Deripaska bribed a government official, ordered the murder of a businessman, and had links to a Russian organized crime group,» the Treasury report said.

Deripaska sued the U.S. government over the sanctions. In his lawsuit, he called the allegations against him «nothing more than false rumor and innuendo,» and said they are rooted in decades-old attacks from his business competitors.

This summer, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., dismissed the case.

NPR national security correspondent Greg Myre contributed to this report.