FM Lavrov; Maria Butina (on the hot seat); SOS Pompeo
UPDATE ON THE FOLLOWING STILL DEVELOPING STORY FROM THE GUARDIAN (via MSN) - this is the introduction and key part that I see;
The findings in this story sheds
further light on the links forged in recent years between America’s powerful
gun lobby and well-connected Russians.
U.S. prosecutors allege Butina’s activities were directed
by Alexander Torshin, a senior Russian state banker and
an NRA member.
The NRA members met Svetlana Nikolaeva, who is the head of a gun company that supplies
sniper rifles to the Russian military and intelligence services, during a trip
to Moscow during the 2016 election campaign.
Nikolaeva’s husband, Konstantin Nikolaev, allegedly provided
funding to Maria Butina, the one now charged with carrying out an illicit
spying operation in Washington. Nikolaev reportedly once invested in his wife’s
gun company.
No senior NRA official has made any public statement
about Butina’s case since news of the charges was announced by the DOJ on July
16, 2018.
Further, the NRA and Nikolaev’s companies did not respond to requests for comment.
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ORIGINAL POST FROM HERE:
This is a huge growing story that needs regular updates like this from Reuters reporting via MSNBC (short video included).
Accused Russian agent Maria Butina had wider high-level contacts in Washington than previously known, taking part in 2015 meetings between a visiting Russian official and two senior officials at the U.S. Federal Reserve and Treasury Department. The meetings, revealed by several people familiar with the sessions and a report from a Washington think tank that arranged them, involved Stanley Fischer, Fed vice chairman at the time, and Nathan Sheets, then Treasury undersecretary for international affairs.
Butina traveled to the United States in April 2015 with Alexander Torshin, then the Russian Central Bank deputy governor, and they took part in separate meetings with Fischer and Sheets to discuss U.S.-Russian economic relations during Democratic former President Barack Obama's administration.
The two meetings, which have not been previously reported, reveal a wider circle of high-powered connections that Butina sought to cultivate with American political leaders and special interest groups.
Who is Maria Butina – quick snapshot: On July 15, 2018, she, a Russian citizen residing in Washington, DC was arrested by the FBI and charged with conspiring to act as an unregistered Russian agent.
She had attempted to create a backchannel of communications between Republicans and Conservatives and Russian officials by infiltrating the NRA, the National Prayer Breakfast, and several GOP-Conservative religious organizations. In the affidavit in support of her arrest warrant, the FBI said she sought to “exploit personal connections with U.S. persons having influence in American politics in an effort to advance the interests of the Russian Federation.”
In August 2016, she moved to the United States on a student visa and enrolled as a graduate student at AMU (American University) in Washington, DC where she graduated in 2018 with an MA in International Relations. More background on Butina from here.
Has big ties to the NRA. Russian quote: “Where's the logic?”
(A tiny pistol vs. Assault rifle and extended magazine)
My 2 cents: What I see and believe is true about this story on top of the whole mess and controversy stirred up by Putin and not being disputed by Trump from knowledge of Russian operations and techniques is very concerning and has to stay forefront in any discussions with Russia and BTW: no more one-on-one between Putin and Trump, period.
Her overall reach, financing ties, and political and other contacts with key Americans is a major story and especially for her – a 29-year old recent graduate from AMU and now able to have moved so freely the way she did is very concerning.
My Q: How many more Maria Butina’s are out there on Putin’s behalf. Hundreds I suspect. I will provide regular updates to this story because I think it’s a very hot item and won’t go away soon and more so as we move into the 2018 midterm elections.
Related: Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov tells SOS Mike Pompeo to release Maria Butina on the fabricated charges (from the Guardian).
Two final notes:
1. Now more so since the Helsinki Trump-Putin one-on-one meeting in secret for two-hours (Bloomberg report) shows me and many others I am sure that Putin now has free-rein over his demands from Trump knowing full and well that Trump will not stop or hinder him for reasons yet unclear and that is the big question isn’t it: What does Putin have on Trump?
2. We collectively had better wake up, set our divisive political views aside and take seriously this continuing in-depth story – that is: “Trump and the Russian Ties and Connections.”
As for me, I am sure our Intelligence Agency folks take this very seriously, and I have faith in their abilities and findings and reporting – however, we all should.
Sadly, millions of Trump loyal supporters do not trust anyone except Trump, and that is both very disturbing and worrisome at the same time.
Thanks for stopping by.
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