Accused, Russian agent Butina should plead guilty to Washington

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A woman accused of acting as a Russian agent to infiltrate the powerful lobby group of the National Rifle Association and influence US policy towards Moscow should plead guilty in federal court Thursday under an agreement likely to help prosecutors win their case. overview of Russia's efforts to meddle in American politics.

Maria Butina, Former Russian Graduate Student The American University of Washington, who has publicly pleaded for gun rights, is expected to change her plea of ​​guilty at a hearing before the United States. Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington Federal Court. Butina was accused in July of acting as an agent of the Russian government and of conspiring to take action in favor of Moscow.

According to US media, she should cooperate with prosecutors during an ongoing investigation. The hearing, which was delayed by one day by the judge, must begin at 10:30 am EST.

Prosecutors accuse Butina, who is awaiting trial, of collaborating with a Russian official and two US citizens in an attempt to infiltrate the NRA, a group closely aligned with Republican politicians, including the president. Donald Trump, and forcibly weigh on Washington's policy towards Moscow.

Butina's lawyers had previously identified the Russian official as Alexander Torshin, a deputy governor of the central bank of Russia targeted by the sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department in April.

One of the two Americans named in the prosecution's criminal complaint was Paul Erickson, an American conservative political activist who frequented Butina. Neither Erickson nor Torshin have been accused by prosecutors of wrongdoing.

Moscow described the case as "fabricated" against Butina and called for her release.

Prosecutors in the Butina case do not fall under the advice of the special advocate Robert Mueller, who investigates Russia's role in the 2016 US election and is investigating whether the Trump campaign conspired with Moscow to help him win.

The prosecution's complaint against Butina did not explicitly mention Trump's campaign. Reuters had previously reported that Butina was a Trump supporter who had boasted at Washington parties that she could use her political connections to help people find jobs in her administration.

Trump has denied any collusion with Moscow. Russia denied interfering in US politics.