12-10-2018, 09:51 PM
Follow-up to posts #302 & #423:
Another Guilty Plea in exchange for cooperation
![[Image: maria-butina-ap-jpo-180717_hpMain_12x5_992.jpg]](https://s.abcnews.com/images/Blotter/maria-butina-ap-jpo-180717_hpMain_12x5_992.jpg)
Maria Butina, accused Russian agent, signed a plea deal on December 8th.
She has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and cooperate with federal, state and local authorities in any ongoing investigations.
She admits as part of the deal 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.”
(continued)
Another Guilty Plea in exchange for cooperation
Maria Butina, accused Russian agent, signed a plea deal on December 8th.
She has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and cooperate with federal, state and local authorities in any ongoing investigations.
She admits as part of the deal 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.”
(continued)