Maria Butina

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Maria Butina
Maria Butina.jpg
Butina in 2014
Born
Maria Valeryevna Butina
(Russian: Мари́я Вале́рьевна Бу́тина)

(1988-11-10) November 10, 1988 (age 30)
Barnaul, Altai Krai, RSFSR, Soviet Union
Alma materAltai State University (Spc., Cand. of Sci.)[1]
American University (M.A.)[2]

Maria Valeryevna Butina (Russian: Мари́я Вале́рьевна Бу́тина; born November 10, 1988; also transliterated as Mariia)[3][4][5] is a Russian who pled guilty to felony charges of conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent of the Russian state under 18 U.S.C. §951.[6][7][8][9] She is the founder of "Right to Bear Arms [ru]", a Russian group.[10] In April 2018, Butina told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Konstantin Nikolaev, a Russian billionaire, provided funding for the group.[11] Beginning in 2011, she worked for Aleksandr Torshin, a former member of the Federation Council, a member of Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, and a deputy governor of the Central Bank of Russia.[12]

In July 2018, while residing in Washington, D.C., Butina was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and charged with acting as an agent of the Russian Federation "without prior notification to the Attorney General."[13]

Early life and education[edit]

Butina was born in Barnaul, Altai Krai, RSFSR, USSR, on November 10, 1988. Her mother was an engineer, and her father was an entrepreneur who established a furniture manufacturing business in Barnaul.[14] She grew up in the Siberian taiga, where her father introduced her to guns and taught her to hunt.[7] Butina said: "It is a rare Siberian who can imagine himself without a rifle in the home."[15]

She studied political science at Altai State University in Barnaul and also received a teaching degree. At 19, she was elected to the Public Council of Altai Krai in the last direct election for the Council.[16][14]

Business career[edit]

Butina built a furniture retail business in Altai Krai when she was 21.[14] In 2011, she moved to Moscow and sold six of her seven furniture stores to start an advertising agency.[14][17] That year, she participated in the Youth Primaries organized by the Young Guard of United Russia, the youth wing of the United Russia party, which she described as "the current ruling political party in Moscow."[18]

Also in 2011, Butina founded Right to Bear Arms, described as a Russian gun-rights organization[15] that lobbied to change Russia's strict gun control laws. She began traveling back and forth to the U.S., initially with Aleksandr Torshin,[17] who was then a Senator in the Federation Council of Russia and a leading member of United Russia.[17] He had hired her as his "special assistant" that year.[12] In 2012, they lobbied the council to expand gun rights.[15] Butina resigned from her position as the head of Right to Bear Arms in late 2014.[19]

(According to Russians interviewed by RFE/RL, the organization was notable for avoiding opposition to Putin during the 2011–2013 Russian protests, for its "quixotic" support for a cause with little public support and strong government opposition — Putin himself had told Russians "I am deeply convinced that the free flow of firearms will bring a great harm and represents a great danger for us" — for introducing legislation in the Russian parliament that "never went anywhere", and for receding from public view after Butina stepped down as its head.[20] According to US prosecutors who prosecuted Butina on charges of conspiracy and acting as a foreign agent, her love of guns (and Donald Trump) was a ruse to advance Russia’s agenda within the Republican Party.)[12]

In 2013 she met Republican political operative Paul Erickson in Russia. The two became close, started dating, and eventually moved in together. In 2015 she emailed him a description of her plan to help the Republicans win the 2016 elections through the National Rifle Association (NRA).[8] In January 2015, Torshin became deputy governor of the Central Bank of Russia, and Butina worked as his special assistant until May 2017.[21][10] In 2017, Butina told The Washington Post that she never worked for the Russian government.[22]

In August 2016, she moved to the United States on a student visa, and enrolled as a graduate student in International Relations at American University in Washington, D.C.[23] While a student at American University, Butina got drunk on at least two separate occasions and bragged to her fellow students about her contacts in the Russian government; on both occasions, her classmates reported her to law enforcement, sources told CNN.[24]

In February 2016, Butina and Erickson began a South Dakota business, Bridges LLC.[21][25] Erickson later said the company was established in case Butina needed any monetary assistance for her graduate studies, which Butina commenced in mid-2016 American University in Washington.[26] In 2018, she completed a masters degree in international relations.[27]

Involvement in U.S. politics[edit]

National Rifle Association[edit]

Torshin and Butina established a cooperative relationship between the NRA and Right to Bear Arms. Torshin has attended NRA annual meetings in the United States since at least 2011. Following the 2011 meeting, then NRA President David Keene expressed his support for Torshin's "endeavors" and extended an invitation to the 2012 meeting.[28] Torshin also attended NRA annual meetings in 2012 and 2013.[29] In November 2013, Keene was a guest at the conference of the Right to Bear Arms in Moscow.[18]

Butina and Torshin attended the 2014 NRA annual meeting as special guests of former NRA president Keene.[21][30] Butina attended the Women's Leadership Luncheon at the 2014 meeting as a guest of former NRA president Sandy Froman.[22][30] Butina presented to then NRA president Jim Porter a plaque from Right to Bear Arms. Afterwards, she tweeted "Mission accomplished." As Keene's guest, Butina rang the NRA's Liberty Bell, saying, "To the right to bear arms for citizens of the whole world."[18] Butina and Torshin also attended the 2015 NRA annual convention.[31]

In 2015, a number of NRA officials attended Right to Bear Arms's annual gun conference in Russia. Among them were Keene, gun manufacturer and NRA first vice president Pete Brownell,[32] conservative American political operative Paul Erickson, and Milwaukee County sheriff David Clarke. One of their hosts was Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who in 2014 was sanctioned by the White House following Russia's annexation of Crimea. Clarke's trip cost $40,000, with all expenses paid by the NRA, Pete Brownell (an NRA board member and CEO of a gun-parts supply company) and Right to Bear Arms.[22][33][34] According to a disclosure Clarke filed, Right to Bear Arms paid $6,000 to cover his meals, lodging, transportation and other expenses.[17] During the meeting, Clarke met the Russian foreign minister and attended a conference at which Torshin spoke.[22][34] In November 2016, Torshin tweeted that he and Butina were lifetime NRA members.[29][35]

Republican Party[edit]

Butina has attempted to develop ties to conservative American politics. In a supporting affidavit to the government's support for pre-trial detention following her indictment in United States of America v. Maria Butina, the FBI stated that she had successfully sought ties to the Republican Party, where it is referred to as "POLITICAL PARTY 1".[5] According to The Daily Beast, she has presented herself as a "Russian central bank staffer, a leading gun rights advocate, a 'representative of the Russian Federation,' a Washington, D.C., graduate student, a journalist, and a connection between Team Trump and Russia" in order to gain access to "high-level contacts" in Washington.[21] At the 2014 NRA annual meeting, Butina took pictures with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and former U.S. Senator and 2016 presidential candidate Rick Santorum. At the 2015 NRA annual meeting, she met Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, and in July 2015, she was present at the launch of Walker's 2016 presidential campaign.[18][29]

Obama administration officials[edit]

In 2015, Torshin, then the Russian Central Bank deputy governor, and Butina met the Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, Nathan Sheets, to discuss U.S.-Russian economic relations.[36] Separately, they also met with a Federal Reserve vice chairman, Stanley Fischer and with a State Department official.[36][37][38]

Donald Trump campaign[edit]

In a June 2015 article published in The National Interest, a conservative American international affairs magazine, just before Trump announced his candidacy for president, she urged better relations between the United States and Russia,[29] saying, "It may take the election of a Republican to the White House in 2016 to improve relations between the Russian Federation and the United States." Her biography on the article did not mention that she worked for the Russian government.[18] The next month, Butina attended FreedomFest, where Trump gave a speech, and asked him from the audience about ending U.S. sanctions against Russia, to which he replied, "I don't think you'd need the sanctions."[18][39] Butina hosted a birthday party attended by Erickson and Trump campaign aides shortly after the 2016 election.[29]

United States v. Maria Butina[edit]

United States of America v. Maria Butina
Seal of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.png
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Full case nameUnited States of America v. Mariia Butina also known as Maria Butina
Citations18 U.S.C. § 951.
Judge sittingDeborah A. Robinson
Prosecutor(s)Erik Michael Kenerson[citation needed]
Plaintiff(s)United States of America
Defendant(s)Maria Butina

The complaint[edit]

The Maria Butina complaint

On July 15, 2018, Butina was arrested in Washington, and charged with acting in the United States as an agent of a foreign government; specifically the Russian Federation, without prior notification to the Attorney General, a conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, to wit, 18 U.S.C. §951 (Foreign Relations, Agents of foreign governments), in violation of 18 U.S.C. §371 (Conspiracy).[40] After her arrest, it was mistakenly reported she was charged with a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (22 U.S.C. §11 Foreign Agents AND Propaganda). U.S. law dictates that all lobbyists representing foreign governments must register as such with the Department of Justice.[7] The website Lawfare noted that "the Justice Department’s National Security Division—which approves all FARA and Section 951 charges—takes the difference between the two crimes seriously." Her attorney said that "The allegations of the indictment are essentially that her only illegal act was not registering."[41]

On July 18, Butina pleaded not guilty,[42] and a District Court judge ordered her jailed pending trial.[42] She is also said to be cooperating in a federal fraud investigation in South Dakota.[43]

Affidavit[edit]

The Maria Butina affidavit

According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, from as early as 2015 and continuing through at least February 2017, Butina worked at the direction of a high-level official in the Russian government, who, according to The New York Times, was believed to be Torshin. The court filings detail the Russian official’s and Butina’s efforts for Butina to act as an agent of Russia inside the United States by developing relationships with U.S. persons and infiltrating organizations having influence in the Republican Party and in conservative politics—such as the National Rifle Association, the National Prayer Breakfast and some religious organizations—for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian Federation.[44] The filings also describe certain actions taken by Butina to further this effort during multiple visits from Russia and, later, when she entered and resided in the United States on a student visa. The filings allege that she undertook her activities "without officially disclosing the fact that she was acting as an agent of Russian government, as required by law."[45]

Butina, Torshin, and Erickson have been subjects of an investigation by the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Erickson is referred to in Butina's indictment as "Person 1." In addition, George D. O'Neill Jr., a conservative writer and Rockefeller heir, is "Person 2."[29][26][46] Torshin has also been the subject of a probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation into whether the Russian government attempted to illegally funnel money to the NRA in order to help Trump win the presidency.[26][31] The FBI began to monitor Butina in August 2016 when she moved to the United States on a F-1 student visa. Rather than confront her immediately, the Bureau chose to track her movements and gather information of who she was meeting, and what her end goals were to be.[47]

Plea deal[edit]

Butina's attorneys and federal prosecutors declared in a November 16, 2018, court filing that they had entered into plea negotiations.[48]

On December 13, 2018, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to act as an illegal foreign agent, while the original charge of failing to register as a foreign agent was dropped.[49][50] She faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and, according to a CNN report, will "likely be deported after serving any time."[9]

Russian government reaction[edit]

After President Putin had denied any knowledge of Butina, [51]his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented at length on her plea deal.[52] Lavrov made a statement saying that Butina's arrest was designed to undermine the "positive results" of the Helsinki summit between US President Trump and Russian President Putin. She was arrested a day before the President Trump met his Russian counterpart.[27] Butina's father has called the accusations against her "psychopathy and a witch-hunt".[53] Leonid Slutsky, head of the lower house of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, called Butina's case a "modern political inquisition".[54] Russia's Foreign Ministry accused the United States of forcing false confession from Butina.[55] According to the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, "Having created unbearable conditions for her and threatening her with a long jail sentence, she was literally forced to sign up to absolutely ridiculous charges."[56]

Definition of events by former intelligence officials[edit]

Four former intelligence agents familiar with Russian espionage investigations spoke to USA Today about Butina’s case. Jack Devine, a high-ranking former CIA agent said, "That does not fit any spy that I can think of." He meant that she was what was called a "spotter", an individual who gains access to a high-ranking official through a political cause and then sends any information to powerful foreign officials. Former FBI Special Agent Ed Shaw said that Trump "and his administration are the target and groups that are related to the administration, or seek to influence the administration, are the means" for Russian agents to access classified information.[57]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Семья Марии Бутиной узнала из СМИ о ее задержании в США по обвинению в шпионаже". TASS. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ Matt Apuzzo, Katie Benner and Sharon LaFraniere (July 16, 2018). "Mariia Butina, Who Sought ‘Back Channel’ Meeting for Trump and Putin, Is Charged as Russian Agent". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Vera Bergengruen (July 16, 2018). "Charges Say Accused Russian Agent Used The NRA And The National Prayer Breakfast In Effort To Influence US Policy". Buzzfeed.
  5. ^ a b Kevin Helson (July 14, 2018). "In the matter of an application for a criminal complaint for Mariia Butina, also known as Maria Butina". US Department of Justice. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018.
  6. ^ Justice, United States Department of. Mariia Butina Plea Agreement.
  7. ^ a b c "Maria Butina: NRA member, lobbyist, and Kremlin spy?". Deutsche Welle. July 17, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Prokop, Andrew (July 19, 2018). "Maria Butina, explained: the accused Russian spy who tried to sway US politics through the NRA". Vox. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Polantz, Katelyn (December 13, 2018). "Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina pleads guilty to engaging in conspiracy against US". CNN.COM.
  10. ^ a b Fandos, Nicholas (December 3, 2017). "Operative Offered Trump Campaign ‘Kremlin Connection’ Using N.R.A. Ties". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  11. ^ John Fritze (July 23, 2018). "Report: Alleged spy Maria Butina paid by Russian billionaire Konstantin Nikolaev". USAToday.com. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  12. ^ a b c "Maria Butina Loved Guns, Trump and Russia. It Was a Cover, Prosecutors Say". Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  13. ^ "The criminal complaint against Maria Butina by the Dept. of Justice". justice.gov.
  14. ^ a b c d Мостовщиков, Егор (April 17, 2014). "Как создать оружейное лобби и не прогореть" [How to create a weapons lobby and not burn out]. GQ Russia (in Russian). Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  15. ^ a b c Ioffe, Julia (November 15, 2012). "The Rise of Russia's Gun Nuts". The New Republic. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  16. ^ Мария Бутина [Maria Butina]. Молодежные праймериз 2011 (in Russian). Archived from the original on April 8, 2018.
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  19. ^ Bodner, Matthew; Charlton, Angela; Pane, Lisa Marie (September 10, 2018). "Misfire: Maria Butina's strange route from Russia to US jail". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  20. ^ Schreck, Carl (26 July 2018). "Gun Play: The Rise And Fall Of Maria Butina's Wannabe Russian NRA". rferl. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
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  23. ^ Karimi, Faith (July 19, 2018). "Maria Butina's many roles: Grad student. Gun rights activist. Alleged Russian agent". CNN. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  24. ^ Sara Murray (August 2, 2018). "Alleged Russian agent's infiltration of GOP circles anything but subtle". CNN. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
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  31. ^ a b Sheth, Sonam (March 17, 2018). "Congress wants to question an NRA lawyer who reportedly raised concerns about the group's Russia ties". Archived from the original on April 11, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  32. ^ "Brownell, Pete (Board Member) – NRA On the Record". June 9, 2014. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  33. ^ "Bice: Sen. Tammy Baldwin says Sheriff David Clarke is being 'groomed' for Senate bid". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. March 13, 2017. Archived from the original on December 28, 2017.
  34. ^ a b Cliff Schecter (December 5, 2016). "How David Clarke Bridges Donald Trump's Gun Nuts and Vladimir Putin's Kleptocrats". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on April 29, 2017.
  35. ^ Mak, Tim. "The NRA May Have More Russian Contributors Than It First Said". NPR. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  36. ^ a b Sarah N. Lynch (July 22, 2018). "Exclusive: Alleged Russian agent Butina met with U.S. Treasury, Fed officials". Reuters. Retrieved July 24, 2018. took part in separate meetings with Fischer and Sheets to discuss U.S.-Russian economic relations during Democratic former President Barack Obama’s administration.
  37. ^ Bob Davis (July 22, 2018). "ACCUSED RUSSIAN AGENT BUTINA MET WITH STANLEY FISCHER". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 24, 2018. A career State Department official also attended the session, Mr. Saunders said.
  38. ^ Jeremy Herb; Sophie Tatum (July 23, 2018). "Alleged spy met with US officials in 2015". CNN. Retrieved July 24, 2018. Butina attended meetings in 2015 with Stanley Fischer, then Federal Reserve vice chairman, and Nathan Sheets, who was then Treasury undersecretary for international affairs in the Obama administration.
  39. ^ Follman, Mark (March 9, 2018). "Trump Spoke to a Russian Activist About Ending Sanctions – Just Weeks After Launching His Campaign". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018.
  40. ^ "Dept of Justice complaint against Maria Butina, AO 9l (Rrv. 08/09) Criminal Complaint". August 9, 2018.
  41. ^ "No, Mariia Butina Wasn't Charged With Violating FARA". Lawfare. July 27, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  42. ^ a b Lynch, Sarah N. (July 18, 2018). "U.S. judge orders accused Russian agent jailed pending trial". Reuters. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  43. ^ Pappenfuss, Mary (July 27, 2018). "Accused Spy Maria Butina Is Cooperating In Fraud Probe: Attorney". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  44. ^ "Maria Butina, Suspected Secret Agent, Used Sex in Covert Plan, Prosecutors Say". Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  45. ^ "Russian National Charged in Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of the Russian Federation Within the United States". www.justice.gov. July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  46. ^ Rockefeller Heir Was Contact of Alleged Russian Agent, Wall Street Journal', Aruna Viswanatha and Julie Bykowicz, July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  47. ^ Helderman, Rosalind S (July 17, 2018). "'She was like a novelty': How alleged Russian agent Maria Butina gained access to elite conservative circles". Washington Post. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  48. ^ Hsu, Spencer (November 16, 2018). "Maria Butina, alleged Russian agent who met with NRA and other groups, is in plea talks". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  49. ^ Smith, David (December 13, 2018). "Russian spy Maria Butina pleads guilty to conspiracy against US". The Guardian. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  50. ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/russian-maria-butina-pleads-guilty-in-effort-to-forge-kremlin-bond-with-us-conservatives/2018/12/13/c27f2d26-fe4f-11e8-ad40-cdfd0e0dd65a_story.html
  51. ^ "PUTIN DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE OF ALLEGED RUSSIAN SPY MARIA BUTINA". Reuters. 11 DECEMBER 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2019. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  52. ^ http://tass.com/politics/1036038
  53. ^ "Maria Butina: Russian gun activist at heart of US Kremlin row". BBC News. July 18, 2018.
  54. ^ "Butina Admits To Being Russian Agent, Pleads Guilty in U.S. To Conspiracy". The Moscow Times. December 14, 2018.
  55. ^ "Moscow Accuses U.S. of Forcing False Confession From Alleged Russian Agent Maria Butina". The Moscow Times. December 19, 2018.
  56. ^ "Moscow says U.S forced false confession from alleged Russian agent Maria Butina". Reuters. December 19, 2018.
  57. ^ "'Does not fit any spy': What made accused Russian spy Maria Butina different". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-01-01.

External links[edit]

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