Russian woman who tried to broker Trump-Putin meetings is busted for espionage

By Nikki Schwab
July 16, 2018 | 3:51pm | Updated


Maria Butina at a rally in Moscow in 2013Zuma Press


WASHINGTON – A 29-year-old Russian with links to the National Rifle Association who reportedly tried to broker secret meetings between President Trump and Vladimir Putin was charged Monday with acting as an agent of the Russian Federation within the US.

The Justice Department said that Maria Butina was “developing relationships with U.S. persons and infiltrating organizations having influence in American politics, for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian Federation.”

The announcement came just hours after Trump said at a joint press conference with Russian leader Vladimir Putin that there’s no reason Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US presidential election.

Butina is a known protege of Alexander Torshin, who McClatchy reported in January was being investigated by the FBI to see if he had been funneling money illegally to the NRA to help President Trump win the White House.

Butina twice tried to arrange meetings between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin during the 2016 US presidential election, according to the New York Times.

During the 2016 cycle, the NRA donated $30.3 million to Trump’s campaign, according to OpenSecrets.org.

Butina was charged because she did not disclose she was acting as an agent to the Russian government to U.S. officials, which is required by law.

https://nypost.com/2018/07/16/russia...ed-for-spying/