Thread by @LuluLemew

A criminal complaint was *unsealed today* in the District of Columbia charging a Russian national with conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian Federation within the United States without prior notification to the Attorney General. justice.gov/opa/pr/russian…

Maria Butina, 29, a Russian citizen residing in DC, was arrested on July 15, 2018, in Washington, D.C., and made her initial appearance this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

She was ordered held pending a hearing set for July 18, 2018.

From as early as 2015 and continuing through at least Feb 2017, Butina worked at the direction of a high-level official in the Russian govt who was previously a member of the legislature of the Russian Federation and later became a top official at the Russian Central Bank.

This Russian official was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control in April 2018.

The Russian official’s and Butina’s efforts for Butina to acted as an agent of Russia inside the United States by developing relationships with ...

U.S. persons and infiltrating organizations having influence in US politics, for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian Federation. Butina furthered this effort during multiple visits from Russia and, later, when she entered and resided in the US on a student visa.

The filings allege that she undertook her activities without officially disclosing the fact that she was acting as an agent of Russian government, as required by law.

The case is being prosecuted by the *National Security Section* of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the *National Security Division* of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Bye Felicianova

Butina

"and others"
"Co-Conspirators"

March 14, 2016
August 2016
Sept 26, 2016

US Person 1 - American Political Operative

Person 2 - American

#butina

RUSSIAN OFFICIAL who was giving Butina orders was sanctioned in 2018

"...these lines [backchannel] could be used by the Russian Federation to penetrate the US national decision-making apparatus..."

"The Second Pozner"

Hi @GOP, @NRA

"WITH THE RIGHT TO NEGOTIATE" ??? cc @20committee

The resulting status needs to be strengthened before the 2016 presidential election...

Which political candidate would that be now...?

...plans to meet with US Congressman
"Long game"
influence op

Butina assured US person 2
not to worry, all we need is <<yes>> from Putin's side, the rest is easier.

Who organized the 2017 prayer breakfast???

We only have 2 months before the election...and it's time for building an advisor's team on Russia for the new president...

OCT 4 2016
USPerson1
told Butina he was already successful in building a VERY PRIVATE LINE of COMMUNICATION [backchannel]
**BETWEEN THE KREMLIN & [GOP LEADERS]***
THROUGH THE [NRA]

WTAF...COLD BLOOD??
GOP IS WITH US
DEMS AGAINST 50/50 ??

THAT WAS OCT 5 2016

Underground...
incognito
JFC

anybody else think it's weird that Russian agents are using something as insecure as Twitter DMs to communicate???

No collusion...[sarcasm]

I'm not a lawyer...but consciousness of guilt here? or something? IDK, treason? I'll take anything...reaally..

My dearest President has received "the message" about your group initiatives...
oh HI POOT &##%%$^#^