The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a sweeping investigation into Americans who have worked with Russian state television. This move is part of a major effort to stop Russia’s influence in the upcoming presidential election in November.

This month, F.B.I. agents raided the homes of two well-known figures connected to Russian state media: Scott Ritter, a former U.N. weapons inspector and critic of U.S. foreign policy, and Dimitri K. Simes, a former adviser to Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. Although neither has been charged with a crime yet, the investigation is ongoing and more searches are expected soon.

The FBI’s action follows recent findings from U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia’s news networks, like RT (Russia Today), are working with Russian intelligence to meddle in elections worldwide. Their goal is to support Trump and undermine his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, using fake news and videos.

The investigation is looking into whether thes...