💥Russian National Charged in Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of the Russian Federation Within the United States - Mariia Butina, 29, a Russian citizen residing in Washington D.C., was arrested on July 15, 2018, in Washington, D.C.
justice.gov/opa/pr/russian…
justice.gov/opa/pr/russian…
Mariia Butina Criminal complaint - Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of a Foreign Government - from 2015 or earlier up to the present
Item 2d: To infiltrate organizations active in US politics in an effort to advance the interests of the Russian Federation
justice.gov/opa/press-rele…
Item 2d: To infiltrate organizations active in US politics in an effort to advance the interests of the Russian Federation
justice.gov/opa/press-rele…
Affidavit in support of criminal complaint - Mariia Butina
US Person 1 met Butina in Moscow around 2013 and worked with Butina to jointly arrange introductions to US persons, including organization promoting gun rights (aka the NRA)
justice.gov/opa/press-rele…
US Person 1 met Butina in Moscow around 2013 and worked with Butina to jointly arrange introductions to US persons, including organization promoting gun rights (aka the NRA)
justice.gov/opa/press-rele…
From the Mariia Butina Affidavit - US Person 2 is a US citizen involved with a series of emails in 2016 and 2017 to arrange dinners in DC and NY with Russian nationals and US persons influential in politics
justice.gov/opa/press-rele…
justice.gov/opa/press-rele…
Around March 24, 2015 Butina emailed Person 1 subject line "The Second Posner" with an email proposal & the project description 'Diplomacy' stating a major US political party would like to gain control over the US government after the 2016 elections
justice.gov/opa/press-rele…
justice.gov/opa/press-rele…
Great article by @timkmak on Maria Butina
January 2018 scoop from McClatchy about FBI investigation of the NRA and Alexander Torshin, deputy governor of Russia’s central bank and his protege Maria Butina
Maria Butina worked for Alexander Torshin who met Donald Trump Jr - Spanish police provided the FBI transcripts of 33 wiretapped conversations between Torshin & Alexander Romanov, a convicted Russian money launderer - ahead of Torshin's meeting with Don Jr
More on Spanish prosecutor José Grinda who has provided info the FBI from his investigation into Alexander Romanov, friend of NRA-linked Alexander Torshin and separate investigation of Paul Manafort's ex-business partner Dmitry Firtash
Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, and Jared Kushner were all copied on email communications with Alexander Torshin and Maria Butina during the campaign
Paul Erickson attended Maria Butina's gun conference in 2015 with former NRA & ACU chief David Keene; gun manufacturer and NRA first vice president Pete Brownell; and Milwaukee County sheriff David Clarke & host Dmitry Rogozin who was sanctioned by the US
A side note: Cambridge Analytica may come into this story about Maria Butina's arrest - in Oct 2017 Sen Feinstein sent letter to Cambridge Analytica for all communications with people including Paul Erickson & Johnny Yenason, who both met Butina & Torshin
Johnny Yenason met Aleksander Torshin and Maria Butina in March 2016 at a National Prayer Breakfast in Russia and he invited them in May 2016 to speak at an NRA event in KY - where Torshin spoke to Donald Trump Jr
Senator Feinstein's Oct 2017 letter to Cambridge Analytica requested all communication with Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin. Her letter also included people involved in discussions with Butina & Torshin - Rick Clay, Johnny Yenason and Paul Erickson
Striking part on Kremlin backchannel to NRA: Oct 4, 2016 Person 1 emailed an acquaintance "I've been involved in securing a VERY private line of communication between the Kremlin and KEY POLITICAL PARTY 1 (GOP) leaders through, of all conduits, the (NRA)"
justice.gov/opa/press-rele…
justice.gov/opa/press-rele…
