Fara-Violations

Foreign Governments Fund MAGA Influencers for Propaganda Without Proper Disclosure

| Importance: 8/10

Foreign governments including Israel, Hungary, and South Korea are paying MAGA-aligned content creators to promote diplomatic talking points without proper disclosure under Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) requirements. Israel provided $70,000 for influencer trips to Gaza and the Golan Heights …

Israel Hungary South Korea MAGA influencers Foreign governments foreign-influence fara-violations propaganda information-warfare
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Federal Judge Sentences Russian Agent Maria Butina to 18 Months for Conspiracy to Infiltrate Conservative Movement

| Importance: 7/10

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan sentenced Maria Butina to 18 months in federal prison on April 26, 2019 for conspiring to act as a Russian agent without registering with the Justice Department. The sentencing took place in Washington, D.C. federal court. Butina had been in custody since her arrest …

Maria Butina Tanya Chutkan Department of Justice National Rifle Association russian-influence sentencing foreign-agents nra fara-violations +2 more
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Maria Butina Pleads Guilty to Conspiring as Russian Agent, Admits Years-Long Clandestine Influence Scheme

| Importance: 8/10

Maria Butina pleaded guilty in federal court on December 13, 2018 to one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian Federation without registering with the U.S. government, while the original charge of failing to register as a foreign agent was dropped. She became the first Russian …

Maria Butina Alexander Torshin Department of Justice Paul Erickson National Rifle Association russian-influence guilty-pleas foreign-agents nra fara-violations +3 more
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FBI Arrests Maria Butina for Conspiring to Act as Russian Agent to Infiltrate Conservative Organizations

| Importance: 9/10

The FBI arrested Maria Butina in Washington, D.C. on July 15, 2018, charging her with acting in the United States as an agent of the Russian government without prior notification to the Attorney General, and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. The arrest came after an 18-month …

Maria Butina FBI Alexander Torshin Department of Justice National Rifle Association russian-influence arrests foreign-agents nra fara-violations +3 more
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Mueller Indicts Paul Manafort and Rick Gates on 12 Counts Including Conspiracy Against the United States

| Importance: 9/10

Special Counsel Robert Mueller unsealed the first indictments in his Russia investigation, charging former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his longtime business associate Rick Gates with 12 criminal counts. The charges include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder …

Paul Manafort Rick Gates Robert Mueller Mueller Investigation Paul Manafort Money Laundering FARA Violations Ukraine Lobbying +1 more
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