Maria Butina Pleads Guilty In Foreign Agent Case, Admits Clandestine Influence Scheme
The Russian gun rights activist had sought to establish back-channel ties between the Russian government and leading U.S. conservative groups, including the Trump campaign and the NRA.
Updated at 2:17 p.m. ET
A Russian woman who schemed to build back-channel ties between the Russian government and the Trump campaign pleaded guilty on Thursday to conspiring to act as a clandestine foreign agent.
Maria Butina also sought to connect Moscow unofficially with other parts of the conservative establishment, including the National Rifle Association and the National Prayer Breakfast.
She was arrested over the summer after having been monitored by the FBI, including in meetings in Washington, D.C., with Russian officials. Butina also
