Alleged Russian Spy Pleads Guilty to Conspiring Against the US

The 30-year-old alleged Russian spy Maria Butina on Thursday pleaded guilty to conspiring to be a foreign agent in the U.S. She also acknowledged her multiple attempts to infiltrate American policymakers in the 2016 election through her contacts with the National Rifle Association (NRA) and top Republican officials.

“Butina sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over US politics,” prosecutors said.

These organized efforts, according to Butina, were all backed by the Russian government. Specifically, a Russian official named Alexander Torshin was giving her directions as to how to win over important Americans to Russia’s side.

Her case took place amidst rising tension between President Donald Trump and special counsel Robert Muller. Although Butina’s plea is relevant to Muller’s investigation, it was actually a separate office at the Justice Department that announced the charges against her.

Butina was once a graduate student at American University in Washington. During her stay in the U.S., she never hid her patriotism. According to the Washington Post, her cellphone case was a picture of Vladimir Putin riding a horse without a shirt on. She also frequently visited a Russian bar in Washington called “Russian House” and connected with her homeland through vodka.

She had always been vocal about her support for a closer diplomatic relation between America and Russia. In fact, she gave several speeches on the topic during her studies at American University. She also organized “friendship dinners” for wealthy American citizens to get together and discuss US-Russian relation.

A gun rights enthusiast, she regularly networked with NRA leaders. Her boyfriend Paul Erickson was actually an important member of the NRA and now faces fraud charges in three different states.

In 2015, she invited NRA members on a visit to Moscow to discuss politics with Russian officials. Erickson helped her organize the trip, which eventually materialized in December.

“We should let them express their gratitude now, we will put pressure on them quietly later,” Butina said to her superior Torshin after the trip.

In her confession, she made clear that Republican candidates in the 2016 election were involved in her scheme. She admitted to having met a number of Republican officials during an NRA meeting in 2015. “One of whom announced his campaign to run for the presidency of the United States shortly therafter,” she said, referring to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. ”

The same year at FreedomFest Convention, Butina managed to meet Donald Trump at a public forum and asked him about his foreign policy strategy with regard to Russia. “I know Putin and I’ll tell you what, we get along with Putin. Putin has no respect for President Obama,” replied Trump at the time.

In 2016, She met Donald Trump Jr. at an NRA-organized dinner in Kentucky and took a picture with him.

According to her statement, “Butina predicted that the candidate nominated by [the Republican Party] would likely win the upcoming US presidential election.”

As of now, Butina already agreed to provide all evidence related to her charges. She is also expected to turn in a full report of her financial sets and participate in a series of interviews with law enforcement.

She faces a hearing in February where she will get a specific sentencing date. The longest sentence she could get is five years. However, due to her willingness to cooperate with authorities, it is more probable that she only gets up to six months in prison. After that, she is likely to be deported.

Featured image via AP