The U.S. Justice Department is disbanding a program aimed at seizing the assets of Russian oligarchs started after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
A memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi issued on February 6 said the effort, known as Task Force KleptoCapture, will end.
"This policy requires a fundamental change in mindset and approach," Bondi said in the memo.
The program was designed to strain the finances of wealthy associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin and punish people who facilitated sanctions violations.
Bondi said resources now devoted to seizing the assets of oligarchs and enforcing sanctions will be redirected to “the total elimination of Cartels and TCOs” -- an acronym for transnational criminal organizations.
Task Force KleptoCapture was announced on March 2, 2022, just a few weeks after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It brought indictments against aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska and TV tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev for alleged sanctions evasion and seized yachts belonging to oligarchs Suleiman Kerimov and Viktor Vekselberg.
SEE ALSO: U.S. Charges Russian Oligarchs, State-Owned Bank CEO, And U.S.-Based 'Facilitators'Bondi also ended the Foreign Influence Task Force, which was established in the first administration of President Donald Trump to police disinformation campaigns aimed at sowing discord and undermining democracy.
The task force was dedicated to investigating violations of the law requiring foreign agents to register with U.S. authorities. Bondi said the decision the scale back the policing of foreign interests had been made to "free resources to address more pressing priorities, and end risks of further weaponization and abuses of prosecutorial discretion."
Attorneys assigned to the task force will return to their previous posts. The changes will be in effect for at least 90 days and could be renewed or made permanent, according to the memo.
Some Republicans have accused the government of abusing the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to unfairly target political operatives, such as Paul Manafort, Trump's 2016 campaign manager.
He was indicted as part of a federal probe into Trump's role in Russia's influence campaign during the 2016 U.S. election. Manafort was convicted of several offenses, including acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal and lying on FARA documents, but he was ultimately pardoned by Trump.
FARA was also used to pursue Mike Flynn, Trump's first national-security adviser, who lied to the FBI about contacts with Russians.