Paul Erickson, US Republican boyfriend of admitted Russian agent Maria Butina, is indicted on fraud and money-laundering charges
- Paul Erickson is accused of using investors’ cash to enrich himself for decades
Paul Erickson, a Republican operative who dated a woman accused of spying on the US on behalf of Russia, was indicted on federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
Erickson was indicted on Tuesday in South Dakota in what prosecutors described as a two-decades-long scheme to attract investors then use their cash to enrich himself.
He pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 11 counts and was released on bond.
Erickson, 56, made headlines due to his relationship with Maria Butina, who was arrested last year and accused of failing to register as a foreign agent for Russia.
Butina admitted in December to conspiring to act as an agent for the Kremlin without registering in the United States.
Butina pleaded guilty to attempting to infiltrate political groups on behalf of the Kremlin, including the National Rifle Association, and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.