Russian-Influence

Maria Butina Released from Federal Prison and Immediately Deported to Russia After 15 Months

| Importance: 6/10

Maria Butina was released from the Tallahassee Federal Correction Institution on October 25, 2019 after serving more than 15 months in federal custody. She was immediately taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and deported to Russia the same day, departing on a direct …

Maria Butina ICE Federal Bureau of Prisons Russian Government deportations russian-influence foreign-agents nra maria-butina
Read more →

Senate Finance Committee Report Reveals NRA Misled Public About Russia Connections and 2015 Moscow Trip

| Importance: 8/10

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden released findings on September 27, 2019 from an 18-month investigation into the National Rifle Association’s relationship with Russia and potential violations of U.S. tax and sanctions laws. The report revealed new evidence that the 2015 NRA …

Senate Finance Committee Ron Wyden National Rifle Association Maria Butina Alexander Torshin congressional-investigations nra russian-influence sanctions-violations foreign-agents +2 more
Read more →

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
Read more →

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
Read more →

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
Read more →

Russian Official Alexander Torshin Meets Donald Trump Jr. at NRA Convention After Requesting Trump Meeting

| Importance: 9/10

Alexander Torshin, working with Maria Butina, requested that Donald Trump meet with him on the sidelines of the National Rifle Association’s convention in Louisville, Kentucky from May 20-22, 2016. While Torshin never succeeded in meeting with then-candidate Trump himself, he did secure a …

Alexander Torshin Maria Butina Donald Trump Jr. Donald Trump National Rifle Association russian-influence nra trump-campaign foreign-agents 2016-election +2 more
Read more →

NRA Leaders Travel to Moscow on Trip Arranged by Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin, Meet High-Level Russian Officials

| Importance: 8/10

Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin arranged and hosted a delegation of National Rifle Association members in Moscow from December 10-15, 2015. The delegation included NRA leaders such as Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke and David Keene, a former NRA president. During the trip, the gun rights …

Maria Butina Alexander Torshin National Rifle Association David Clarke David Keene +1 more russian-influence nra foreign-agents conservative-infiltration sanctions-violations +2 more
Read more →

Russian Agents Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin Attend NRA Annual Meeting, Meet Federal Reserve Vice Chairman

| Importance: 8/10

Russian operative Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin (member of Russia’s upper house of parliament and later sanctioned Russian official) traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to attend the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting from April 8-11, 2015. During this trip, Torshin met with …

Maria Butina Alexander Torshin National Rifle Association Stanley Fischer Federal Reserve russian-influence nra foreign-agents conservative-infiltration maria-butina +2 more
Read more →