NEW: French court documents show that Maria Butina's funder Konstantin Nikolaev was in business with the Rotenberg's (Putin's closest allies). "It is probable...that certain Russian public agents of the highest ranks, such as PUTIN have interests in [the Nikolaev/Rotenberg biz]"
Link to the relevant section of the case: documentcloud.org/documents/2722…
The case was brought by French prosecutors and some NGOs to expose possible corruption in a highway being built from Moscow-St. Petersburg, where some French companies were involved. documentcloud.org/documents/2722…
The truly insane shell company structure of the French company that was building the motorway led French prosecutors to believe that Putin might be one of the ultimate beneficiaries. 
Konstantin Nikolaev (Maria Butina's funder) and Arkady Rotenberg are in business together. Rotenberg is Putin's oldest friend. French prosecutors believe it's a possibility that Putin is in fact one of the beneficial owners.
I'd venture to guess that this is why the Russian government is putting so much pressure on the US to release Butina.
I'd be very very very interested to find out if Butina got any money from either of the two Cyprus LLC's in which Arkady Rotenberg and Konstantin Nikolaev have at least some level of involvement.
