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Roland99

(53,342 posts)
Mon Dec 10, 2018, 07:33 PM Dec 2018

Oh Rachel! Damn! Nice find (Butina response post meeting)





ABC News article:

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/maria-butina-accused-russian-agent-reaches-plea-deal/story?id=59719083

She admits, as part of the deal, according to a copy obtained by ABC News that is expected to be filed to the court, that she and an unnamed “U.S. Person 1,” which sources have identified as longtime Republican operative Paul Erickson, with whom she had a multiyear romantic relationship, “agreed and conspired, with a Russian government official (“Russian Official”) and at least one other person, for Butina to act in the United States under the direction of Russian Official without prior notification to the Attorney General.

Based on the description, the “Russian Official” appears to be Alexander Torshin, deputy governor of the Russian Central Bank and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Under his direction, the agreement said, she “sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over U.S. politics.”

The agreement, which Butina signed on Saturday, Dec. 8, also notes that the conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, but the deal could see Butina receive a lesser sentence, depending on the level of her cooperation, before likely being deported back to Russia.

It is unclear what Butina’s cooperation might entail, but federal prosecutors have reportedly notified Erickson that he is a target of an ongoing investigation. The target letter sent to Erickson is from federal prosecutors in Washington, sources familiar with the case told ABC News, and separate from any South Dakota-based federal fraud investigation into his business dealings that has been the subject of earlier media reports.
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Oh Rachel! Damn! Nice find (Butina response post meeting) (Original Post) Roland99 Dec 2018 OP
And this. Remember good ol Jack Abramoff?? Roland99 Dec 2018 #1
Thanks for the memories of sleaze personified: Abramoff. He of the black trenchcoat. erronis Dec 2018 #9
"Longtime Republican operative Paul Erickson." Well, well, well. Honeycombe8 Dec 2018 #2
A meeting between NRA insiders and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dalton99a Dec 2018 #3
A LOT of puckered sphincters amongst Republicans tonight! Roland99 Dec 2018 #4
More likely a lot of toilet bowl flushes. erronis Dec 2018 #10
A great week for, "Joe the Plumber"... IthinkThereforeIAM Dec 2018 #24
Amazing how quiet the NRA has gotten grantcart Dec 2018 #5
If we're really lucky, the NRA will set up 45 to take the fall. lindysalsagal Dec 2018 #13
+1 uponit7771 Dec 2018 #16
Seriously. H2O Man Dec 2018 #17
well its an unfair comparison, lol, the feds have facts on their side and the other side is guilty grantcart Dec 2018 #20
Outstanding! H2O Man Dec 2018 #21
Here in Wisconsin on the news they have been showing her with Scott Walker every time they Augiedog Dec 2018 #6
That's excellent! And don't forget that ass David Clarke EleanorR Dec 2018 #8
And. Let's not forget. Republicans prevented her from being questioned! Roland99 Dec 2018 #7
U.S. Person 1 sounds like they conspired against the United States. ffr Dec 2018 #11
I will be sure to watch her tonite. triron Dec 2018 #12
I wouldn't believe a word she says. WinstonSmith4740 Dec 2018 #14
Or ... she could be a female Felix Sater FakeNoose Dec 2018 #29
Depends on who she sells out quakerboy Dec 2018 #30
If Butina talks,won't she be murdered by Putie? donkeypoofed Dec 2018 #15
Deportation death sentence. She talked, she's fucked. nt DRoseDARs Dec 2018 #18
I'm willing to bet... SergeStorms Dec 2018 #25
I think trump has signaled his OK for the murder of US citizens by his buddies alphafemale Dec 2018 #26
That wouldn't surprise me... SergeStorms Dec 2018 #35
Witness protection for Mueller cooperators is a one-way ticket to Mars, first flight. WheelWalker Dec 2018 #33
Malcolm Nance moondust Dec 2018 #19
Kick oasis Dec 2018 #22
Why am I thinking of this? Yavin4 Dec 2018 #23
The right wing scum in the US sure loves Russia. Progressive Jones Dec 2018 #27
I remember Proud Liberal Dem Dec 2018 #32
K & R MFGsunny Dec 2018 #28
And the Pulitzer Prize goes to -- Sander Dec 2018 #31
I'm Thinking this actually frustrates Mueller to a point. Xolodno Dec 2018 #34

Roland99

(53,342 posts)
1. And this. Remember good ol Jack Abramoff??
Mon Dec 10, 2018, 07:55 PM
Dec 2018

NRA leader, Jack Abramoff and GOP operative tied to alleged Russian spy Maria Butina have long history as foreign agents lobbying together
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/12/nra-leader-jack-abramoff-gop-operative-russian-spy-maria-butina-lobbying/

One chapter of Keene’s lobbying history has made even fewer headlines: The time he, Paul Erickson and Jack Abramoff were lobbying for a widely recognized dictator’s entry into the United States.

Erickson and Abramoff had been longtime friends whose professional lives often intertwined. After college Republicans, Erickson and Abramoff went on to do more than just develop the anti-Communist Dolph Lundgren flick Red Scorpion together.

In 1995, Erickson obtained a $30,000 contract for a six-week stint lobbying for entrance into the United States on behalf of Mobutu Sese Seko, the president of the Republic of Congo during the Rwandan genocide who was widely referenced as a military dictator. Mobutu had been banned from the entering the United States after he developed political ties while working as a journalist then formed an authoritarian regime. He was notorious for corruption, nepotism, and embezzlement between $4 and $15 billion during his reign as well as widespread human rights violations.

As Abramoff noted in the FARA disclosures, he was “under no illusion we are dealing with Thomas Jefferson.”

erronis

(15,313 posts)
9. Thanks for the memories of sleaze personified: Abramoff. He of the black trenchcoat.
Mon Dec 10, 2018, 08:57 PM
Dec 2018

These bastards just never stop.

dalton99a

(81,534 posts)
3. A meeting between NRA insiders and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
Mon Dec 10, 2018, 08:15 PM
Dec 2018
The government has alleged that U.S. Person 1 “worked with Butina to arrange introductions to U.S. persons having influence in American politics,” including high-ranking members of the National Rifle Association and organizers of the National Prayer Breakfast, that would ultimately give her a surprising level of access to conservative politicians, including — in one memorable interaction captured on video — to then-candidate Donald Trump.

Most notably, Butina’s Russian gun rights group “Right to Bear Arms” hosted a delegation of former NRA presidents, board members and major donors in Moscow in 2015, where she appears to have succeeded in arranging a meeting between NRA insiders and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, raising the prospect of a discussion between conservative political operatives and a powerful member of Russian President Putin’s inner circle in the midst of a presidential campaign.

After that now infamous meeting, the agreement said, Butina sent the Russian Official a message, which was translated as saying “We should let them express their gratitude now, we will put pressure on them quietly later.”



erronis

(15,313 posts)
10. More likely a lot of toilet bowl flushes.
Mon Dec 10, 2018, 08:58 PM
Dec 2018

At least for me, when I get worried, I engage in that old predator-avoidance ploy: empty the bowels.

H2O Man

(73,577 posts)
17. Seriously.
Mon Dec 10, 2018, 10:05 PM
Dec 2018

I don't think the NRA has better lawyers than the DOJ, though!

This is an intense time.

grantcart

(53,061 posts)
20. well its an unfair comparison, lol, the feds have facts on their side and the other side is guilty
Mon Dec 10, 2018, 10:45 PM
Dec 2018

I believe that the overall conviction rate for federal criminal prosecution is around 93%. I believe all of the attorneys on Mueller's team are 100% ers.


The feds have enormous advantages because they only pursue very serious violations with multiple counts. They then only pursue those counts with overwhelming evidence.

I would guess that NRA's attorneys would get a similar conviction rate if they were on the other side.

A really good defense attorney going against feds is the one that gets you in the door the fastest and gets you to unload everything as fast as possible. A really good attorney is the one who, when the feds ask if you will wear a wire responds with, "are you sure one is going to be enough? We don't want to miss anything do we?"

I would nominate Robert Kelner and Stephen Anthony as the two best private attorney's to come up against the Mueller team to date, by far. Their representation of Flynn has been spectacular. Not only did Flynn violate the rules governing the behavior of generals in retirement but this is the guy who besides setting up a back channel with the Russians but also put together a meeting to kidnap Muhammed Fethullah Gülen




In March 2017, former CIA Director James Woolsey told the Wall Street Journal that he had been at a September 19, 2016 meeting with then Trump campaign advisor Mike Flynn with Turkey's foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, and energy minister, Berat Albayrak, where the possibility of Gulen's abduction and forced rendition to Turkey was discussed.[111][112]



Despite this pyramid of serious felonies Mr. Flynn is going to walk away with no prison time. If I am ever detained I would like to think that I would have the composure to tell the arresting officers to call my attorney Saul Goodman just for the hilarity of it. In the meantime I carry Kelner and Anthony's phone number with me just in case.

Augiedog

(2,548 posts)
6. Here in Wisconsin on the news they have been showing her with Scott Walker every time they
Mon Dec 10, 2018, 08:33 PM
Dec 2018

do a report about what is going on I her case. It’s Hilarious. You can bet that governor Weasel is fuming about that.

EleanorR

(2,393 posts)
8. That's excellent! And don't forget that ass David Clarke
Mon Dec 10, 2018, 08:50 PM
Dec 2018

He was in Russia in 2015. What a corrupt bunch.

ffr

(22,671 posts)
11. U.S. Person 1 sounds like they conspired against the United States.
Mon Dec 10, 2018, 09:18 PM
Dec 2018

Hope it was worth it.

Traitors!

WinstonSmith4740

(3,056 posts)
14. I wouldn't believe a word she says.
Mon Dec 10, 2018, 09:33 PM
Dec 2018

She knows damn well who she's dealing with...if she cooperates with Mueller, she's a dead woman walking. Putin will serve her the tea personally if necessary. I'll bet she pulls a "Manafort"...she'll continue to lie thinking she's smarter than Mueller and his team. I want to see every one of those traitors go DOWN!!

FakeNoose

(32,673 posts)
29. Or ... she could be a female Felix Sater
Tue Dec 11, 2018, 01:12 PM
Dec 2018

... going double/triple agent on everybody. If she convinces Pootie that down deep she's really loyal to him, then he'll let her continue playing her game as long as we let her stay here.

quakerboy

(13,920 posts)
30. Depends on who she sells out
Tue Dec 11, 2018, 03:06 PM
Dec 2018

Putin ain't dumb. If trump ain't a liability yet, he has to know there's a strong likelyhood he will be soon. And Chaos and division within the US is to Putins advantage. So selling out the R's is not necessarily a death sentence for Russian operatives at this point.

donkeypoofed

(2,187 posts)
15. If Butina talks,won't she be murdered by Putie?
Mon Dec 10, 2018, 09:35 PM
Dec 2018

Whether here or there, they WILL find her. So I say do not trust her and verify everything she says. If she's not dead within 60 days after being deported, then her confessions were just part of a plot.

SergeStorms

(19,204 posts)
25. I'm willing to bet...
Tue Dec 11, 2018, 03:56 AM
Dec 2018

that her "cooperation" with the investigation depends on whether she receives political asylum and that she's entered to the Witness Protection Program. She's got to have some blockbuster information to warrant the government giving her that assurance, though. I think she knows that if she's returned to Russia she's a dead woman, whether she talked, or not. Putin isn't known for his generosity and kindness when handling compromised spies. She's going to have to come up with some earth shattering intelligence, foreign or domestic, to earn a new life somewhere in the United States. Chances are they'd find her in any event with her think Russian accent.

Progressive Jones

(6,011 posts)
27. The right wing scum in the US sure loves Russia.
Tue Dec 11, 2018, 05:22 AM
Dec 2018

They see themselves as patriots, but they're all Putin lovers.
The NRA and the GOP are going to be taking some major legal blows.
I want to see the NRA is out of business ASAP.
Fucking traitors...

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,417 posts)
32. I remember
Tue Dec 11, 2018, 05:08 PM
Dec 2018

that, during the time Obama was POTUS, there were some right-wing Republicans starting to idolize Putin (I though mostly to spite President Obama and/or for Putin's authoritarian tendencies) but I had no idea they were literally getting in bed with him.

Xolodno

(6,398 posts)
34. I'm Thinking this actually frustrates Mueller to a point.
Tue Dec 11, 2018, 06:41 PM
Dec 2018

Yes, he get the info he wants. But at the same time, he gets the info he wants rather easily.

He has to know that Putin didn't just plan Trump's rise, but also his downfall. And at the end of the day, he wins, no matter what the outcome.

Many of us here want to "see" the pee tape...what concerns me is, we'll "see" the pee tape...and it will be delivered from Moscow with gladness. We've been played, soundly. And have no choice but to accept it.

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