Maria Butina latest: Russian with NRA links charged with spying in the US under Kremlin direction
Suspect can be seen in video recordings at one of Donald Trump’s rallies asking a question about his goals with US-Russian relations
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Your support makes all the difference.A Russian woman is the latest person to be charged in the ongoing federal investigation into meddling in the 2016 US election.
Maria Butina is accused of "infiltrating organisations having influence in American politics, for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian Federation".
She joins a slew of Russians and Trump campaign officials indicted in the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, including intelligence officers and hackers allegedly linked to coordinated attacks on the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and personal offices.
Last week, the Justice Department announced a dozen indictments against Russian intelligence officers. Several of those officers were allegedly involved in attempts to infiltrate emails associated with Ms Clinton’s personal offices – the same day Mr Trump called on Russia to locate the former secretary of state's supposedly missing emails.
Ms Butina can be seen in video recordings at one of Mr Trump’s rallies in 2015 asking the president a question about his goals with US-Russian relations. Mr Trump responded that he’d consider lifting sanctions against the Kremlin, telling her: “I believe I would get along very nicely with Putin... I don't think you'd need the sanctions.”
Ms Butina’s advocacy for guns and interest in American politics is well-documented, with the Washington Post describing her as a “photogenic activist” who “founded a group called the Right to Bear Arms” in 2017.
At the time, Ms Butina denied working as a foreign agent or representing Russian interests. “No government official has EVER approached me about ‘fostering ties’ with any Americans,” she wrote in an email to the Post.
Ms Butina, who was arrested on Friday as the indictment of 12 other Russians was publicly revealed, is also accused of having “worked at the direction of a high-level official in the Russian government who was previously a member of the legislature of the Russian Federation and later became a top official at the Russian Central Bank".
The Justice Department said in its complaint that Ms Butina worked with two unnamed US citizens and the Russian official to try to influence American politics and infiltrate a pro-gun rights organisation.
The complaint did not name the group, however photos on her Facebook page showed that she attended events sponsored by the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA did not return requests for comment.
The indictment also suggests Ms Butina coordinated meetings and introductions with an American who was either close to or associated with Mr Trump’s 2016 campaign.
"US Person 1 worked with BUTINA to jointly arrange introductions to US persons having influence in American politics, including an organisation promoting gun rights ... for the purpose of advancing the agenda of the Russia Federation," the indictment read.
Robert Driscoll, an attorney for Ms Butina, said she was not a Russian agent. He said she was cooperating with US authorities and had previously appeared voluntarily behind closed doors for eight hours before the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Her apartment was raided by the FBI in April, he added.
“Ms Butina intends to defend her rights vigorously and looks forward to clearing her name,” Mr Driscoll said.