Accused Russian spy poised to plead guilty in deal with prosecutors: report
Maria Butina, the alleged Russian agent who federal prosecutors say infiltrated the National Rifle Association (NRA) in order to gain access to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and members of the Republican Party, is preparing to enter a guilty plea—MSNBC reports.
JUST IN: Maria Butina, woman accused of being an unregistered foreign agent for Russia, will change her plea in a c… https://t.co/v7rUgKNXIX— MSNBC (@MSNBC) 1544458201
On July 17, Butina was indicted on charges that she acted as an unregistered foreign agent for the Russian government. She pleaded not guilty. But according to MSNBC, Butina has changed her mind and will soon be entering a guilty plea in federal court.
On Twitter, Politico’s Kyle Cheney has posted a U.S. District Court memo requesting a “joint motion to set change of plea hearing.” The document noted that Butina and attorney A.J. Kramer are “available for a hearing” his Tuesday morning, Nov. 11.
It appears Maria BUTINA is about to plead guilty to ... something. https://t.co/QXrgddHbj9— Kyle Cheney (@Kyle Cheney) 1544457007
The document states, “The parties have resolved this matter, and the defendant, Maria Butina, remains in custody.”
According to the Daily Caller, Butina’s boyfriend, GOP political operative Paul Erickson, allegedly contacted the Trump campaign in May 2016 to seek a meeting between Russian politician Alexander Torshin and Trump.
