Imprisoned in Alexandria (Virginia) Maria Butina, within a month on the phone dictated his story to journalist James Bamford from the New Republic. Today her story was finally published. Contrary to the admission made at the time of arrest, she denied any involvement in espionage, claiming that he just wanted through personal relationships to bring together the US and Russia.
Butina’Maria’s boyfriend Paul Erickson has just been arrested in the Trump Russia scandal – and it’s a big deal https://t.co/GqonPF8DGo #Analysis #Politics pic.twitter.com/AhIAl8pf6m
— #Politics 🌊 (@ZaibatsuNews) February 7, 2019
«If I were a Russian intelligence officer, you never would have met me in a public place. I mean that I would be the most inconspicuous person on earth … If I were a scout, I would be the worst of all representatives of this profession,» said Butina journalist and then explained: earlier it admitted not of espionage, but in deliberate attempts to establish contacts with Republican politicians, but it is not the same thing.
In the words of Butynol, it was an ideological supporter of the empowerment of citizens to weapons for self-defense. Worked for many years on this issue in Russia and is wanted in the US to gain experience that could be applied at home.
Mary Butina was born 10 November 1998 in Barnaul. Graduated from Altai state University and failing in local elections and in business, she found herself in the social movement for civil weapons. In Russia during that period was just tougher licensing legislation, complicating the issuance of permits for possession of weapons. The girl created the organization, after studying the Internet structure and practices of the American NRA and taking her for a sample.
Soon Mary petitioned for the right to arms and gathered 100 thousand signatures. It was noticed by a policy, dealing with the subject. So it was in Moscow, where they met with Senator Alexander Torshin, to build a career in the space between the Prosecutor’s office and banks.
The NRA loved RUSSIA AND BUTINA!! THE NRA CHOSE RUSSIA OVER THE USA! Russia doesn’t allow citizens to have guns!! WHY WERE THEY THERE?? pic.twitter.com/9FQqqpwaqY
— CarolineHamilton (@RiskAlert) February 1, 2019
In Russia, intelligence agencies have extremely negative attitude to public figures in any fields, reminded his interlocutor Butina. Soon she felt the pressure and surveillance. By that time she already came through Torshin contacts with NRA and a number of Republican politicians from the gun lobby. The activist decided to move to the US — to protect themselves from possible persecution in Russia, to gain experience, and maybe to make a career in America and stay here forever.
Thus, Butina denied accusations that she was looking for ties with politicians to obtain secret information or to influence the political life of the United States. However, the investigation of Russia’s participation in election in 2016 has heightened suspicion of the United States against the Russians, attempting to contact with us politicians.
The next hearing in the case of Maria Butunoi was scheduled for 12 February, but on Friday, February 8, Catkin judge rescheduled the hearing for February 26, explaining his decision by the fact that the defendant cooperates with the investigation and she still has something to say. Many fear that this may be related to the arrest of 56-year-old Paul Erickson. Close to the Republicans, the analyst, held in close relationship with Butynol, was charged with fraud. Such accusations Erickson charged regularly in 2014, but before the arrest, it came for the first time. However, it almost immediately released on bail. It is difficult to judge whether these events, and if so, who to whom more can testify. Or Butina will shed light on the dark past of familiar politicians, or these friends will help to prove that she is a spy.
Meanwhile, the Russian media began to spread allosexual rumors about being in a Russian prison Box, Whelan. (It is believed that Moscow may try to exchange it for Butina.) «Rain», for example, citing a source in the Lubyanka, says that on a flash drive which were detained Willan, there were no data on the FSB, and the cadets of the FSB, and now it is reported that an American businessman was interested in it boys.
The U.S. Consulate continues to press that the Kremlin has allowed regular consular meeting with Whelan. (The meeting, which was to be held in January, was canceled.)
