Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina admits to engaging in conspiracy against US By Katelyn Polantz and
Source: CNN
Washington (CNN) Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina admitted in federal court Thursday morning to engaging in a conspiracy against the United States.
Butina, 30, was accused of working to infiltrate Republican political circles through groups such as the National Rifle Association to bolster Russian interests.
Butina said she acted "under direction of" a Russian official whom CNN has identified as Alexander Torshin. "Butina sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over US politics," the prosecutor said in court.
Read more: https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/12/13/politics/maria-butina-guilty-plea/index.html?__twitter_impression=true
SunSeeker
(51,557 posts)Sneederbunk
(14,291 posts)Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)and they're knee-deep in this shit, too
turbinetree
(24,701 posts)procon
(15,805 posts)let's wait until we can put him in jail.
Fritz Walter
(4,291 posts)Knowing how the GRU disposes of legal and political problems, it may well be protective custody. Once shes testified, they might move her to gen-pop, and well see what that does to her life expectancy.
empedocles
(15,751 posts)LenaBaby61
(6,974 posts)A ruskie/NRA SPY. A Honey pot.
The mostly corporate media (Mrs. Greenspan) spewed bile and DAMNATION of Hillary and her NEVER compromised emails.
But Butina can only muster being called an alleged SPY?
UpInArms
(51,284 posts)Has, by using her other moniker, Andrea Mitchell, been very successful at hiding her links to the chain of swamp buddies
Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)dlk
(11,566 posts)And it's time for her American co-conspirators and enablers to be held accountable-traitors all!
Nitram
(22,801 posts)PeeJ52
(1,588 posts)where did that $30 million dollars the NRA spent on Trump's campaign come from?
BigmanPigman
(51,592 posts)got money via her connections?
matt819
(10,749 posts)Butina was very obviously an intelligence officer. But if you find that a stretch, then let's go with witting - very witting - asset.
The truly astounding element of her assignment is that she did not conceal her nationality (Russian), her association with Russian intelligence (overt introductions to Russian intelligence and paid trips to Russia), or, ultimately, her goal (electing Trump).
This was a massive poke in the eye to the NRA and RW Americans generally - no subtlety required, no finesse. Hey, we're Russians, and we're going to fuck with you. Anybody with me? And they all fell into line, panting and slobbering from here to Moscow.
The charge that she's pled guilty to is essentially failing to register as a foreign lobbyist. If this gets her to cooperate and serve time in prison, great. But I think she should have been charged with espionage. Although her targets were the NRA and the Republican party, her key objective was helping to dismantle American democracy. A conviction allows tremendous flexibility in sentencing, including life sentences and death penalty. In contrast, failing to register as a foreign agent carries up to 2 years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)over U.S. politics.
Those words are powerful. Everything we THOUGHT had happened, DID happen.
I'm guessing this involves some Republicans in the Senate and House, too. Definitely the Trump team.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)who spent all of 2017 (and even 2018) telling everyone that KremlinGate was a "nothingburger" and "an overhyped myth" and "sour grapes from Hillary" needs to line up and kiss my ass...