Maria Butina, the Russian operative who used her NRA activism to illegally infiltrate conservative political circles, says her only crime was not registering as a foreign agent. Butina, 30, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, made the comments in an interview with National Public Radio, her first with a U. And this is why the whole this thing got started," Butina said, according to portions released ahead of the Friday broadcast of the interview on All Things Considered. Butina, a graduate of American University, pleaded guilty in December to one charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign official.
Lavrov discussed the issue by phone with Pompeo in a follow-up conversation to the summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a statement by the Russian foreign ministry on its Facebook page. Prosecutors say Butina engaged in a years-long campaign as a covert agent for the Kremlin in an attempt to "advance the interests of her home country. More: Who is Maria Butina? Accused Russian spy allegedly offered sex for power. Russia has been steadily beating the drum on Butina's behalf. A tweet by the foreign ministry called on supporters to add a photo of Butina to their Twitter avatars. Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the U.
Maria Butina: Russian gun activist in US conspiracy case
Washington CNN A federal judge sentenced Russia national Maria Butina to 18 months in prison on Friday, after she pleaded guilty to trying to infiltrate conservative political circles and promote Russian interests before and after the presidential election. Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. More Videos Maria Butina sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Trump and the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, during the presidential campaign was charged Monday and accused of working with Americans to carry out a secret Russian effort to influence American politics. At the behest of a senior Russian government official, the woman, Mariia Butina, made connections through the National Rifle Association, religious organizations and the National Prayer Breakfast to try to steer the Republican Party toward more pro-Russia policies, court records show. The charges were filed under seal on Saturday, the day after 12 Russian intelligence officers were indicted on a charge of hacking Democratic computers during the campaign.