TV producer Jack Hanick formerly worked as Sean Hannity's director, but he now works for Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev (Malofeev). According to a release from the Southern District of New York, Hanick is being charged with violating Crimea-related sanctions.
Malofeyev is close to influential neo-fascist Aleksandr Dugin and has worked to fund Russian-backed separatists fighting Ukraine.
According to the Justice Department, Hanick was arrested on Feb. 3, 2022, in London for extradition to the United States.
"Konstantin Malofeyev is closely tied to Russian aggression in Ukraine, having been determined by OFAC to have been one of the main sources of financing for the promotion of Russia-aligned separatist groups operating in the sovereign nation of Ukraine," said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in a statement. "The United States sanctions on Malofeyev prohibit United States citizens from working for or doing business with Malofeyev but as alleged, Hanick violated those sanctions by working directly for Malofeyev on multiple television projects over the course of several years."
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The indictment was unsealed on March 3, showing the enforcement of the sanctions laws tied to the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2015. The sanctions for that have been in place ever since.
“The Justice Department will do everything it can to stamp out Russian aggression and interference,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “As alleged in the indictment, the Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev was previously sanctioned for threatening Ukraine and providing financial support to the Donetsk separatist region. The defendant Hanick knowingly chose to help Malofeyev spread his destabilizing messages by establishing, or attempting to establish, TV networks in Russia, Bulgaria, and Greece, in violation of those sanctions.”
The sanctions charge could result in a sentence of no more than 20 years in prison and the false statements charge will carry a maximum penalty of five years. Hanick is currently 71 years old and lives in London.
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