The investigation is probing how Russian tycoons have used art to evade sanctions or launder money. have been hit with a new round of subpoenas as part of a federal investigation into how Russian tycoons and others have used art to evade sanctions or launder money, according to a Bloomberg report. ”A Phillips representative, meanwhile, said that the auction house “always complies as required under law with any government investigation” and that it, too, has “strict due diligence and extensive [“Know Your Customer”] measures… in place to ensure that no individual or institution targeted by sanctions are able to do business directly or indirectly through our sale rooms