GOP & NRA-connected Russian 'Gun Rights Activist' Maria Butina Arrested

originally posted by: theantediluvian
From the DOJ release:

Maria Butina, 29, a Russian citizen residing in Washington D.C., was arrested on July 15, 2018, in Washington, D.C., and made her initial appearance this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was ordered held pending a hearing set for July 18, 2018.

According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, from as early as 2015 and continuing through at least February 2017, Butina worked at the direction of a high-level official in the Russian government who was previously a member of the legislature of the Russian Federation and later became a top official at the Russian Central Bank. This Russian official was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control in April 2018.

The court filings detail the Russian official’s and Butina’s efforts for Butina to act as an agent of Russia inside the United States by developing relationships with U.S. persons and infiltrating organizations having influence in American politics, for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian Federation. The filings also describe certain actions taken by Butina to further this effort during multiple visits from Russia and, later, when she entered and resided in the United States on a student visa. The filings allege that she undertook her activities without officially disclosing the fact that she was acting as an agent of Russian government, as required by law.

Criminal complaint here and affidavit here.

The "RUSSIAN OFFICIAL" is Alexander Torshin. "U.S. PERSON 1" is apparently GOP operative Paul Erickson. "GUN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION" is the NRA and "POLITICAL PARTY 1" would be the Republican Party.

I haven't read through the entire indictment yet. I first read about Butina and Erickson back in February:

The Kremlin and GOP Have a New Friend—and Boy, Does She Love Guns

She's charged with being an unregistered foreign agent. From the looks of it, she was working over the last few years, under the direction of Torshin, to establish ever higher level connections in the right-wing establishment with the assistance of Erickson, with whom she attended a number of events (2016 NRA convention, Trump inauguration, National Prayer Breakfast) as well as hosting dinners/parties.

Previously she's hosted NRA delegations to Russia which included among others, Sheriff David Clarke — where they met with sanctioned then Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin (now director of Roscosmos). Erickson has been an operative since way back with connections to infamous lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Speaking of which, interestingly, like Paul Manafort, in the 90's one of Erickson's clients was Congolese military dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

Interesting side note, she attended FreedomFest 2015, during which in a town hall Q&Q, she asked candidate Trump about lifting sanctions:

I hope this is the beginning of holding ALL lobbyists foreign and domestic to THE LETTER OF THE LAW.
Getting the money out of our politics is essential to preserving our country.

a reply to: shooterbrody

You won't hear me argue that... I just think the timing is odd. Color me surprised if they actually go after large money lobbying and campaign donations, but this smells like a stunt.

After WWII how many real sovereign nation enemies have we had vs manufacturered ones?

a reply to: CriticalStinker

I just want to know when Podesta will be arrested. He did the same.
Flynn wasn't charged.
If "they" are going to apply this it should be EQUALLY.
Same issue most have with the HRC email bs.

a reply to: shooterbrody

Don't forget Christopher Steele.

DNC and CLinton paid the dude, and Orbis $1,000,000.

a reply to: neo96

Yeah no can of worms with this very public arrest.
Bet they don't arrest anyone else for this.

a reply to: shooterbrody

I thought Flynn was charged for lying to the FBI? Which hasn't been proved.

Are you thinking of Manafort.

a reply to: CriticalStinker
Moreover, a court filing mentions that Flynn made several false statements in his belated foreign-agent registration, such as “omitting that officials from the Republic of Turkey provided supervision and direction over the Turkey project.” But Flynn faced no separate charges based on those lies

www.thestar.com...

They could have charged him with failure to register.
He plead to the lying charge.

a reply to: shooterbrody

FBI agents who heard his testimony did not think that he was lying.

There have been suggestions that disgraced Peter Strzok, who was present at the interviews, altered the 302's.

Flynn held out for a long time, but after he was pretty much broke from lawyer fees, and the FBI threatened his son, he gave in and pleaded..

Almost forgot to add: There was the mysterious sudden recusal of the judge in the case - Contreras. There were text messages showing that Strzok was friends with Contreras.

Notice that his sentencing has continuously been delayed.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

Baloney.

So it's all made up then?

originally posted by: BlueAjah
a reply to: shooterbrody

FBI agents who heard his testimony did not think that he was lying.

There have been suggestions that disgraced Peter Strzok, who was present at the interviews, altered the 302's.

Flynn held out for a long time, but after he was pretty much broke from lawyer fees, and the FBI threatened his son, he gave in and pleaded.

Notice that his sentencing has continuously been delayed.

I agree

I just hope to see the fbi and DOJ take down ALL the dirty lobbiests.
Surely we can all agree on that right?

a reply to: shooterbrody

Michael Flynn is not one of them.
He deserves to have all charges dismissed.

originally posted by: BlueAjah
a reply to: shooterbrody

Michael Flynn is not one of them.
He deserves to have all charges dismissed.

I don't think flynn filled out his fara paperwork.
It is interesting that some are allowed to retroactively fill it out and some get arrested.
I wonder who gets to determine that?

“Unregistered Foreign Agent”.....The 3 most horrifying words to the Leftists.
But they have no problem with millions of “Unregistered Foreign Agents” pour into our country unchecked.
Ironic or insane?

The swamp critters are really running out of options.
I was expecting this kind of thing.
Stay tuned to this story. Just watch, the NRA will be found to be "infiltrated" with "Anti-american" spies, Russian Generals, Chinese money laundry and a Mexican human trafficking mafia.

Something tells me this Russian gal is probably more American than the folks that arrested her. Seems they're doing everything they can to not investigate who they should be.

a reply to: RazorV66

Exactly! +1

a reply to: shooterbrody

It’s possible that other charges on Flynn did not pan out, or Mueller decided as a matter of discretion that the wrongdoing did not warrant criminal consequences.

Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, remains very skeptical that Mueller cut Flynn a sweetheart deal in exchange for information. It’s typical that when you reach a plea deal with someone, you make them plead guilty “to every bad act they’ve ever done,” he explained on his podcast in early December. Because of this, it’s very possible that, in the end, Flynn pleaded guilty only to lying to the FBI because that’s all Mueller has on him.

There was nothing wrong with the incoming national-security adviser’s having meetings with foreign counterparts or discussing such matters as the sanctions in those meetings.
...
Flynn, an early backer of Donald Trump and a fierce critic of Obama’s national-security policies, was generally despised by Obama administration officials. Hence, there has always been cynical suspicion that the decision to interview him was driven by the expectation that he would provide the FBI with an account inconsistent with the recorded conversation — i.e., that Flynn was being set up for prosecution on a process crime.

source
source

a reply to: murphy22

OMG!!
That's quite a disturbing suggestion! Could this be an attempt to take down the NRA?
...
That can't be, or they would seriously be trying to start a civil war.

a reply to: BlueAjah

In his March 7 disclosure, filed with the National Security Division under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), Flynn revealed that his firm, Flynn Intel Group, was paid $530,000 for three months of work on behalf of a small Dutch company operated by a Turkish businessman with close ties to Ankara.
Flynn Intel initially registered with the Senate as a lobbyist for the firm, Inovo BV. And according to the New Yorker, Flynn’s firm reportedly considered registering under FARA at the time but decided against it.

dailycaller.com...

originally posted by: BlueAjah
Let's put this insignificant wanna-be lobbyist in perspective:

Top 10 foreign governments paying for influence in 2013

1. UAE 14.2 million

2. Germany $12 million

3. Canada $11.2 million

4. Saudi Arabia $11.1 million

5. Mexico $6.1 million

6. Morocco $4 million

7. South Korea $3.9 million

8. Republika Srpska (Bosnian Serb Republic) $2.4 million

9. Georgia $2.3 million

10. Azerbaijan $2.3 million

Which one of those countries lobbying the US did so illegally? That is if you really want to put this into perspective.

From your link;

Foreign lobbying disclosures by law are much more specific than domestic ones,...

The law that governs these stricter reporting requirements, the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, was created to keep tabs on Nazi propagandists during World War II. Why reporters? The United States feared Nazi Germany was paying public relations people to spin Hitler’s motives in conversations with American journalists.

Washington Post
I can certainly see the importance of full disclosure when acting as a foreign lobbyist.

a reply to: Devino

Burn them all get the foreign influence out.