Accused Russian agent Maria Butina, who ‘tried to infiltrate NRA gun lobby’, pleads guilty in US to conspiracy
- Prosecutors say Maria Butina tried swaying US policy in the Kremlin’s favour, by working with a Russian official to influence the powerful NRA gun group
A woman accused of acting as a Russian agent to infiltrate the powerful American NRA gun lobby group and influence conservative Washington policy toward Moscow pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy in federal court on Thursday in a deal with prosecutors that could give them insight into Russian interference in American politics.
Maria Butina, a Russian former graduate student at American University in Washington who publicly advocated for gun rights, entered the plea at a court hearing in Washington before US District Judge Tanya Chutkan. She also agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
Butina was charged by prosecutors in July with acting as an agent of Russia’s government and conspiracy to take actions on behalf of Moscow.
She had earlier pleaded not guilty before changing her plea during Thursday’s hearing.
Alleged Russian agent Maria Butina, 29, ‘traded sex for US political access’
Her lawyer, Robert Driscoll, estimated that under US sentencing guidelines she could face up to six months in prison.