Accused Russian spy Maria Butina wants to change her plea to guilty according to a Monday court filing with a DC Court.
Butina, who was arrested in July and remains in custody, is accused of working with South Dakota Republican Paul Erickson as a Kremlin spy.
Erickson, who has strong ties to both the National Rifle Association and the Russian gun rights community, allegedly attempted to develop a back-channel between the NRA and the Russian government. In May, 2016, Erickson sent an email to Trump campaign adviser Rick Dearborn and Jeff Sessions with the title “Kremlin connection,” seeking a meeting between then-candidate Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at an annual NRA convention.
Butina, meanwhile, allegedly tried to use Erickson to introduce her to influential political figures in order to arrange a meeting between Trump and her boss, Russian central banker Alexander Torshin.
The Trump campaign declined the invitation, however Torshin and Butina did have a brief interaction with Donald Trump Jr. at a dinner.
Butina is accused of trying to cultivate “back-channel” relationships with the Republican Party’s leading presidential candidates and develop close ties to the NRA to provide Russian officials “with the best access to and influence over” the party.
Butina allegedly was assisted by Erickson, who helped introduce her to influential political figures and who sought to organize a meeting between then-candidate Donald Trump and Alexander Torshin, Butina’s colleague and a Russian central banker, at a May 2016 NRA convention. –Washington Post
US prosecutors on in September argued that Butina should remain in jail pending trial, providing additional evidence that Torshin coordinated her activities – claiming that at his direction she drafted language which would persuade the Russian foreign ministry to let him attend the meeting at the NRA event, which she called a “unique opportunity.”
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