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Accused Russian 'agent' seeks donations for defense
Maria Butina, 29, opened a website to raise money for her case after being arrested last month, her lawyer and media reported on August 17. Before her arrest, the gun rights advocate had built up a network of prominent Republican contacts in Washington, including at the powerful National Rifle Association, while working toward a master's degree in political science at the American University. "I'm Maria and I need your help," the website of Butina's new fund-raising foundation says, with pictures of the smiling redhead at different sites around the United States. A native of Siberia, the website says "she championed peace and positive relations between her homeland and the United States" while she studied and hosted "insider" dinners on Russian themes. "But after graduating with honors, she was arrested by the U.S. government for crimes she did not commit," it says. The website did not indicate how much money she has raised so far. While Butina is charged with spying on the United States, her lawyer Robert Driscoll has insisted that "this is not a spy case." He told TASS, the Russian state-run news agency, that she expects to attract donations from Russia, the United States, and elsewhere around the world. "We will be very grateful for donations from friends and supporters. Information about sponsors will be strictly confidential," the website says in both English and Russian. In court filings, the Justice Department called Butina a "covert Russian agent" who maintained contacts with Russian spies and pursued a mission "to penetrate the U.S. national decision-making apparatus to advance the agenda of the Russian Federation." She built contacts through the National Rifle Association in part by setting up her own gun rights group in Russia, where private firearms are strictly controlled. Her enthusiasm for gun rights enabled her to meet and mingle with senior U.S. Republican lawmakers and operatives who have championed gun rights in the United States, many of whom she met through her boyfriend, a Republican operative, court documents say. Posted by: Besoeker 2018-08-18 |
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