This spells doom for Trump, and the NRA. Paul Erickson, hope the sex was fantastic.
After that now infamous meeting with NRA insiders in Moscow, the agreement said, Butina sent the "Russian Official" a message, which was translated as saying: “We should let them express their gratitude now, we will put pressure on them quietly later.” https://t.co/669tkWukbf
— Pete Madden (@pamadden) December 10, 2018
BUTINA, a 30-year-old Russian gun nut who appeared to have quite the fetish for sex-starved GOP operative losers, is accused of being part of a Russia-led covert influence operation in the United States to influence the 2016 presidential elections.
Previous reporting links her to the NRA, and that's a whole new can of dynamite. Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation into Trump-Russia shenanigans is but one of many possible criminal probes this news could affect.
The NRA is in deep shit now, people.
Today her lawyers said she agrees to plead guilty to conspiracy and cooperate with federal, state and local authorities in any ongoing investigations.
She admitted, as part of the deal copy obtained by ABC News that is expected to be filed to the court, that....
She and an unnamed “U.S. Person 1,” which sources have identified as longtime Republican operative Paul Erickson, with whom she had a multiyear romantic relationship, “agreed and conspired, with a Russian government official (“Russian Official”) and at least one other person, for Butina to act in the United States under the direction of Russian Official without prior notification to the Attorney General.”
Based on the description, the “Russian Official” appears to be Alexander Torshin, deputy governor of the Russian Central Bank and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Under his direction, the agreement said, she “sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over U.S. politics.”
The agreement, which Butina signed on Saturday, Dec. 8, also notes that the conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, but the deal could see Butina receive a lesser sentence, depending on the level of her cooperation, before likely being deported back to Russia.
It is unclear what Butina’s cooperation might entail, but federal prosecutors have reportedly notified Erickson that he is a target of an ongoing investigation. The target letter sent to Erickson is from federal prosecutors in Washington, sources familiar with the case told ABC News, and separate from any South Dakota-based federal fraud investigation into his business dealings that has been the subject of earlier media reports.
Read the rest of the reporting at ABC News.
Conspiracy.
Not failing to register as a foreign agent, conspiracy.
And a cooperation agreement?
Oh my. https://t.co/sAHtBihbRJ
— Ed Bott (@edbott) December 10, 2018
