Russian spy worked with Trump, the NRA, and a who's-who of Republican politicians at all levels
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On Monday, Russian pro-gun activist and lifetime NRA member Maria Butina, was arrested on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and acting as a covert agent of the Russian government. The indictment against Butina, on the same day that Donald TRussian spy worked with Trump, the NRA, and a who's-who of Republican politicians at all levels
On Monday, Russian pro-gun activist and lifetime NRA member Maria Butina, was arrested on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and acting as a covert agent of the Russian government. The indictment against Butina, on the same day that Donald Trump so weakly acquiesced to Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, came after years in which the Russian agent openly presented herself as a gateway between Republican causes and Russia. During that time she not only supported the candidacy of Trump, but worked with other prominent members of the GOP, promoted Republican visits to Moscow, and secured pro-Russian statements from right-wing politicians up and down the line. Butina has been a prominent and vocal presence in the link between the National Rifle Association and Russian pro-gun groups. But she has also inserted herself into other lobbying efforts, both for guns and for Russia. That includes open claims that she was a conduit between the Russian government and the campaign of Donald Trump. Depending on the audience, Butina has presented herself as a Russian central bank staffer, a leading gun rights advocate, a “representative of the Russian Federation,” a Washington, D.C., graduate student, a journalist, and a connection between Team Trump and Russia. She used each role to help her gain more high-level contacts in the nation’s capital. Butina’s claims to be an agent of the Russian central bank aren’t completely false. She is a lieutenant of Russian oligarch Alexander Torshin, who is the deputy governor of the central bank. Torshin heads up the Russian end of the gun manufacturing lobby, Right to Bear Arms. The NRA may have been Butina’s biggest source of political connections, but it was far from the only one. She made it clear that she had money, made it clear that she was looking to make connections with Republicans, and made it clear what she wanted: For the Republican Party to become the champion of Russia. And that doesn’t mean just Donald Trump. As the Washington Post makes clear in their timeline of Butina’s actions ... April 24, 2015: Butina attends the NRA convention in Nashville. There she and Torshin meet Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.), who reportedly greets her in Russian. Butina was there again for the launch of Scott Walker’s campaign. But, of course, she was also laying other bets. Read more