Maria Butina, an alleged Russian spy, pleaded guilty on Thursday to conspiring with a Russian government official against the U.S. by attempting to infiltrate conservative political groups, including the National Rifle Association.
Butina, 30, admitted in federal court on Thursday to operating in the U.S. “under the direction” of a Russian government official who is widely believed to be Alexander Torshin, the deputy governor of Russia’s central bank.
Butina admitted in a plea agreement with prosecutors that she “sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over U.S. politics.”
She also acknowledged in the plea deal that she “agreed and conspired, with a Russian government official (‘Russian Official’) and at least one other person … to act in the United States under the direction of Russian Official without prior notification to the Attorney General.”
The other person is believed to be Paul Erickson, Butina’s boyfriend and a longtime GOP operative.
Together, Butina, Torshin, and Erickson established contacts with NRA executives and other conservative political groups.
Butina has signaled for weeks that she was negotiating a plea deal in her case. She was indicted on July 17 on a conspiracy charge and on charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent. Prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C. have pointed to evidence showing Butina reporting back to Torshin about her activities in the U.S. The pair were able to establish contacts with NRA executives, largely through their pro-gun group, The Right to Bear Arms.
Butina and Torshin showed up at numerous NRA functions, and Butina gave talks at gun rights events touting her group, which sought to expand gun ownership rights in Russia.
Butina’s plea deal with the government requires her to cooperate with prosecutors in their investigation. It is not clear whether she will provide information about Torshin or whether she will receive any protections from the U.S. government while she is cooperating.
Butina is also expected to provide information on Erickson. A former board member of the American Conservative Union, Erickson has reportedly been informed that he is a target of the investigation.
Erickson sought to help Butina and Torshin establish contacts with conservative groups, as well as with the Trump campaign. In May 2016, Erickson sent an email inconspicuously entitled “Kremlin Connection” to Trump campaign official Rick Dearborn. Erickson introduced Torshin as an emissary for Vladimir Putin and sought to arrange a meeting with Trump.
It is unclear how Dearborn responded to the email, but Torshin and Trump reportedly never met. Torshin did briefly greet Donald Trump Jr. later in May 2016 on the sidelines of the NRA convention in Louisville.
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