Accused Russian agent Butina poised to plead guilty - U.S. court papers

[webfact]

Accused Russian agent Butina poised to plead guilty - U.S. court papers

By Sarah N. Lynch

 

FILE PHOTO: Maria Butina appears in a police booking photograph released by the Alexandria Sheriff's Office in Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. August 18, 2018. Alexandria Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Accused Russian agent Maria Butina, suspected of trying to infiltrate the National Rifle Association and influence U.S. policy towards Russia is expected to plead guilty this week following a deal between her lawyers and U.S. prosecutors, according to court filings on Monday.

 

Exactly how the deal will be structured for Butina and whether or not she may agree to cooperate with prosecutors was not immediately clear. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington scheduled a hearing for Dec. 12.

 

Former American University graduate student Butina had previously pleaded not guilty to U.S. charges in July that she was acting as an agent of the Russian government and conspiring to take actions on Russia's behalf.

 

Prosecutors have accused her of working with a Russian official and two U.S. citizens to try to infiltrate the powerful NRA lobby group that has close ties to Republican politicians including President Donald Trump, and influence Washington's policy towards Moscow.

 

Butina’s lawyers previously identified the Russian official as Alexander Torshin, a deputy governor of Russia’s central bank who was hit with U.S. Treasury Department sanctions in April.

 

One of the two Americans mentioned in the prosecutors' criminal complaint was Paul Erickson, a conservative U.S. political activist who was dating Butina. Neither Erickson nor Torshin have been accused by prosecutors of wrongdoing.

 

The case against Butina is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington and the National Security Division, and not U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and any coordination between Moscow and Trump campaign members.

 

The government's complaint against Butina did not explicitly mention Trump's campaign.

 

However, Reuters has previously reported that Butina was a Trump supporter who bragged at parties in Washington that she could use her political connections to help get people jobs in the Trump administration.

 

In a Dec. 8, 2016, class project at American University, she gave a presentation titled "What Might President Trump's Foreign Policy Be Toward Russia?" and listed several of Russia's policy objectives, according to a copy reviewed by Reuters.

 

Whether or not she could help shed any light on contacts between Trump's campaign and Russia is not known.

 

Moreover, the prosecutors in her case have previously made mistakes, including erroneously accusing Butina of offering sex in exchange for a position in a special interest group. The errors could possibly have helped give Butina more leverage in reaching a plea deal.

 

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Susan Thomas and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-11

[TopDeadSenter]

46 minutes ago, webfact said:

Reuters has previously reported that Butina was a Trump supporter who bragged at parties in Washington that she could use her political connections to help get people jobs in the Trump administration.

This is not the first time an attractive young lady got drunk and a bit carried away at a party. This whole Russian malarkey is reminding me of that 99 bottles of beer song, goes on forever and is completely pointless.

[bristolboy]

Just now, TopDeadSenter said:

This is not the first time an attractive young lady got drunk and a bit carried away at a party. This whole Russian malarkey is reminding me of that 99 bottles of beer song, goes on forever and is completely pointless.

So that's what she copping a plea to? Mouthing off at a party?

[Chomper Higgot]

19 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

This is not the first time an attractive young lady got drunk and a bit carried away at a party. This whole Russian malarkey is reminding me of that 99 bottles of beer song, goes on forever and is completely pointless.

You are confusing a number of facts.

 

1. It was former Trump campaign aid George Papadopoulos who got drunk, ran his mouth off and set the Trump/Russia investigation in motion.

 

2. Investigating and prosecuting foreign interference ina US election is not ‘completely pointless’.

 

3. Butina is far from ‘attractive’ (perhaps your denial glasses are distorting your vision).

[Nyezhov]

29 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

This whole Russian malarkey is reminding me of that 99 bottles of beer song, goes on forever and is completely pointless.

Its funny how the Democrats and their Media allies are awfully quiet about "Russia" and have moved on to silliness about campaign finance violations. AS to this rather incompetant secret agent, I feel for her to the extent that nothing provokes a guilty plea more than sitting in jail.

[DoctorG]

4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Butina is far from ‘attractive’

This may be the one and only time I agree with you Chomper ????

[stevenl]

5 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Its funny how the Democrats and their Media allies are awfully quiet about "Russia" and have moved on to silliness about campaign finance violations. AS to this rather incompetant secret agent, I feel for her to the extent that nothing provokes a guilty plea more than sitting in jail.

"ts funny how the Democrats and their Media allies are awfully quiet about "Russia""

Media allies? I am just waiting for Mueller to finish his investigation about Russian collusion.

[bristolboy]

8 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

 AS to this rather incompetant secret agent, I feel for her to the extent that nothing provokes a guilty plea more than sitting in jail.

I can think of one thing that "provokes a guilty plea more than sitting in jail". And that's overwhelming evidence of guilt. You should ask a lawyer about that.

[Langsuan Man]

7 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Its funny how the Democrats and their Media allies are awfully quiet about "Russia" and have moved on to silliness about campaign finance violations. AS to this rather incompetant secret agent, I feel for her to the extent that nothing provokes a guilty plea more than sitting in jail.

Don't know what rock you have been under but last week was nothing but "Russia" "Russia" "Russia" all via guilty pleas from Cohen and Manafort, the Orange One sure hasn't missed the news, just look at his twitter rants

 

Just a coincidence that this incompetent secret agent started the ball rolling by asking Trump about his thoughts on Russian sanctions in a news conference at the beginning of the campaign

 

source:  https://heavy.com/news/2018/07/maria-butina-donald-trump-video-2015/

[Somtamnication]

Just one more nail in the coffin of you know who.

[IAMHERE]

Looks like her crime was to not register as an agent.  Wonder what her pay was. 

[Langsuan Man]

Just now, IAMHERE said:

Looks like her crime was to not register as an agent.  Wonder what her pay was. 

Well one benefit was that Russia paid for her membership in the National Rifle Association 

[TopDeadSenter]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

I am just waiting for Mueller to finish his investigation about Russian collusion.

It's like the apprentice that gets sent to the hardware store to ask for a "long weight". An hour later he is still standing at the counter ????

 

 Well we waited 2 years for Mueller to pull a rabbit out of his hat, still nothing more than various minor offences from peripheral players, related in no way to Russia having swung the 2016 US election. We need to remind ourselves, this Mueller investigation was formed to discover how/if Russia caused the result of the election to be changed. A bit like trying to prove the earth is flat.

[Tug]

Maria knows a lot of players in Donald’s orbit gonna be interesting to see her debriefing btw topdeadsender I think you are the flat earth guy lol lots of trumpers a goin to jail allready and much more to come!!

[onera1961]

2 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

This is not the first time an attractive young lady got drunk and a bit carried away at a party. This whole Russian malarkey is reminding me of that 99 bottles of beer song, goes on forever and is completely pointless.

Completely pointless but it has resulted in indictment of several key figures in Trump administration and their criminal activities. Trump wanted to run the country like Pablo Escobar (sans cocaine) and wanted the justice department to help him in his nefarious business activities. Initially, Escobar was also not indicted for cocaine smuggling into the US but several of his associates, including his lawyers and baker, were indicted and started talking. Mueller investigation should continue until he says it is over. It is about exposing how deep and wide the criminal activities run in Trump administration. Russia connection may be a facade for this.

[bendejo]

She's gonna bring the NRA down, revealing them as a conduit of Russian $$ into the MAGA campaign.  Those Russians, very big on the right to bare bear arms. 

"I love Jesus and gun."

But then what, Witness Protection or repatriation ?

 

 

[DM07]

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

It's like the apprentice that gets sent to the hardware store to ask for a "long weight". An hour later he is still standing at the counter ????

 

 Well we waited 2 years for Mueller to pull a rabbit out of his hat, still nothing more than various minor offences from peripheral players, related in no way to Russia having swung the 2016 US election. We need to remind ourselves, this Mueller investigation was formed to discover how/if Russia caused the result of the election to be changed. A bit like trying to prove the earth is flat.

God...you are funny!

No...wait...what's the word?

Oh, right: deluded!

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

Well one benefit was that Russia paid for her membership in the National Rifle Association 

And maybe act as a conduit for Russian dontations to the NRA?

The F.B.I. and special counsel Robert Mueller are investigating meetings between N.R.A. officials and powerful Russian operatives, trying to determine if those contacts had anything to do with the gun group spending $30 million to help elect Donald Trump—triple what it invested on behalf of Mitt Romney in 2012. The use of foreign money in American political campaigns is illegal.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/06/the-nra-spent-dollar30-million-to-elect-trump-was-it-russian-money

NRA got more money from Russia-linked sources than earlier reported

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released a letter from the NRA .... in which the gun rights group reported receiving $2,512.85 in contributions and membership dues “from people associated with Russian addresses” or known Russian nationals living in the United States from 2015 to the present.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/11/nra-russia-money-guns-516804

[Tchooptip]

5 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You are confusing a number of facts.

 

1. It was former Trump campaign aid George Papadopoulos who got drunk, ran his mouth off and set the Trump/Russia investigation in motion.

 

2. Investigating and prosecuting foreign interference ina US election is not ‘completely pointless’.

 

3. Butina is far from ‘attractive’ (perhaps your denial glasses are distorting your vision).

 

"(perhaps your denial glasses are distorting your vision)" denial said you? Of course, when pictures were taken of an inmate imprisoned they are rarely attractive, otherwise, some men could  disagree with you 

[ReMarKable]

5 minutes ago, Tchooptip said:

"(perhaps your denial glasses are distorting your vision)" denial said you? Of course, when pictures were taken of an inmate imprisoned they are rarely attractive, otherwise, some men could  disagree with you 

I bet she got free gun range membership

[bendejo]

I liked her better before she got the makeover and changed her name.

 

 

 

[Nilats]

America is as bad as North Korea now when it comes to justice, common sense, human rights or political freedom. A bunch of Russians were rounded up and sent to prison, who I'm sure were not any kind of a "security threat" or committed any offenses which deserved even a rudimentary arrest or a personal warning. Complete nonsense and a sham... America should be ashamed of itself... everybody in the World knows and understands what the gig is - it was only because they were Russians.

[alfalfa19]

16 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You are confusing a number of facts.

 

1. It was former Trump campaign aid George Papadopoulos who got drunk, ran his mouth off and set the Trump/Russia investigation in motion.

 

2. Investigating and prosecuting foreign interference ina US election is not ‘completely pointless’.

 

3. Butina is far from ‘attractive’ (perhaps your denial glasses are distorting your vision).

thanks for adding a bit of clarity.

[Langsuan Man]

14 hours ago, Nilats said:

A bunch of Russians were rounded up and sent to prison,

Who, what, when, why and where ?

 

The only way that sentence would make sense if you said " A bunch of Russians were rounded up and sent to a gulag by Putin "