WASHINGTON, D.C - Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the only former FBI Supervisory Special Agent in Congress, released the following statement Thursday regarding the Treasury Department’s sanctions against Russian individuals and entities – including Russian intelligence services FSB and GRU:

“The Treasury Department’s announcement of sanctions against Russian individuals and government-connected agencies is crucial to hold those hostile actors who seek to undermine our institutions and our elections accountable. As the department outlines, this response is directly related to the Kremlin’s ‘continuing destabilizing activities, ranging from interference in the 2016 U.S. election to conducting destructive cyber-attacks, including the NotPetya attack.’ We must not tolerate those who use cyber weapons to sow division and distrust, both here and abroad, and must serve harsh justice to those who engage in such actions.”

Last year, Fitzpatrick voted to enact sweeping new sanctions on Russia and joined fellow Congressional Ukraine Caucus co-chair Rep. Marcy Kaptur in calling for their enactment. Prior to today’s announcement, Fitzpatrick co-sponsored the DISARM Act [H.R. 5216] – bipartisan legislation directing the president to impose sanctions on senior political figures and oligarchs in the Russian Federation and other related Russian entities.

From the Treasury Department: “To date, this Administration has sanctioned more than 100 individuals and entities under our Ukraine and Russia-related sanctions authorities, including 21 individuals, nine entities, and 12 subsidiaries that are owned 50 percent or more by previously sanctioned Russian companies on January 26, 2018.  These sanctions are in addition to other ongoing efforts by Treasury to address destabilizing activity emanating from within Russia, including our sanctioning of Russians targeted for activities related to the North Korea sanctions program, the Global Magnitsky program, and the Sergei Magnitsky Act.”