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Maria Butina, 29, a Russian national accused of espionage in the United States, has close ties to a sanctioned Russian oligarch and a long history of promoting gun rights in Russia and the United States
using his contacts with the National Rifle Association (NRA) to establish links between the Kremlin and an unnamed American political party, which court documents suggest is the Republican Party. Butina reportedly attempted to set up the return channel before the 2016 US presidential election.
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Here's what we know about Butina
Personal life and defense of firearms
Maria Butina, who is accused of espionage for Russia, appears in this modeling image since October 23, 2014.
Maria Butina / Facebook
Butina was born in Barnaul, southern Siberia, in 1988. She attended Altai State University from 2005 to 2010 and earned a master's degree in political science and social sciences, according to his LinkedIn page.
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Butina moved to Moscow after 2010 to launch Right to Bear Arms, a pro-arms lobby inspired by the NRA. She quickly became a champion of the cause, appearing on television, in magazines and addressing the Russian Parliament several times about firearms.
She also modeled several photos to promote gun rights, including the Russian GQ. Нашла тут в архиве номер GQ, где материал про Право на оружие писали. Ностальгия … pic.twitter.com/eCXnkRheS9
– Мария Бутина (@Maria_Butina) June 24, 2015
Butina began spending time in the United States in 2015, Attend Weapon Shows and Hire According to documents filed in court on Monday
she is pursuing a Master's degree in International Relations and International Affairs since 2016, at the American University of Washington, DC, according to his LinkedIn page.
In charge of espionage
Butina was accused Monday of conspiracy to act as an unregistered agent of the Russian government, in connection with alleged activities dating back at least to 2015.
accusations relate to his work as the founder of the right.
Butina allegedly organized dinners in Washington and New York and reportedly attempted to develop relations with US politicians to establish lines of communication "at the back" in order to "penetrate the United States". "The Department of Justice said in its complaint filed on Monday.
Butina was indicted as part of a state investigation in Washington, DC and not as part of the investigation of Special Adviser Robert Mueller on Russian electoral interference.
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Links to a sanctioned Russian oligarch
Maria Butina is shown with Alexander Torshin, a Russian oligarch, in this image of June 6, 2015.
Maria Butina / Facebook
Butina spent years working for Alexander Torshin, a Russian oligarch who was among those sanctioned in April for Russian interference in the
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Torshin is the deputy head of the Bank Central Russia, a former Russian senator and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. . The United States froze all of its property under its jurisdiction in April and banned all Americans and US companies from badociating with it.
Torshin became a lifetime member of the NRA in 2012.
She is a Torshin badistant throughout the year 2016.
Butina's LinkedIn page says she's been working for Torshin as an "unpaid special badistant" from 2011 to May 2017. She has also appeared in several reports over the years. on the rights of firearms.
The prosecution documents include several emails and Twitter chat conversations in which Butina refers to the need to keep his work secret or, in one case, "incognito"
The description of the Russian official filed in court corresponds to Torshin
Butina and Torshin frequently appear together in photos posted on her social media pages from 2015 to 2017. Many photos show Butina holding a bouquet of flowers
Links to Republicans via NRA
Butina welcomed several NRA leaders and pro-gun conservatives to her group's annual meeting in 2015, according to reports in the New York Times, Time and the Daily Beast. Former NRA President David Keene, Conservative political agent Paul Erickson and former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, later a strong supporter of Trump, were among the participants. [19659099] READ MORE:
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Butina and Torshin were photographed with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on April 24, 2015, before Walker's candidacy for nomination Republican presidential election. 19659046] Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, in the center, is represented with the Russian oligarch Alexander Torshin, on the left, and Maria Butina on this photo posted on Butina's Facebook page on April 24, 2015. “/>
