NRA & Trump Treason: Maria Butina Pleads Guilty, Flips on Them
All the shoes appear to be dropping now.
Maria Butina, the Russian “sparrow” who infiltrated the NRA with the assistance of dimwitted, horny GOP operatives, has now plead guilty and is cooperating with the Mueller investigation.
Prosecutors in their criminal complaint accused Butina of ingratiating herself with politically powerful Americans and groups, including the NRA, and exploiting those connections to try to advance Russian interests. They alleged she was in regular contact with her Russian backers, including Alexander Torshin, a Kremlin-linked banker who has been sanctioned by the US Treasury and that she made contact with Russian intelligence. At one court hearing, prosecutors showed a photo of her dining with a Russian diplomat just north of the embassy just before that man, a suspected intelligence officer, left the US amid a purge of Russian agents.
Until now, Butina, 30, maintained her innocence and insisted she was simply a foreign student interested in bettering relations between the US and Russia. Butina previously pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy and a second count of acting as an agent of a foreign government when she was arrested in July.
Ted Lieu is seriously smelling blood in the water now:
BREAKING via @PostRoz @hsu_spencer: Alleged Russian agent Maria Butina poised to plead guilty in case involving Kremlin attempts to influence NRA https://t.co/JaaJgrJDHh
— Matea Gold (@mateagold) December 10, 2018
Dear @NRA: Now I know why you refused to answer the letter I wrote with other Members of Congress in March about Russian efforts to influence you. Will the Maria Butina plea expose what you are hiding in your clenched fist?
Oh, and I have 3 words for you: January is coming. https://t.co/TPbshZtXDJ
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) December 10, 2018
Over at BoingBoing, Xeni is calling this the end of both Trump and the NRA. Somewhat wishful thinking.