Is Maria Butina a Russian spy?
"Putin claims Maria Butina is not known to Russian spy agencies as she prepares to plead guilty in US conspiracy case". CNBC. Archived from the original on December 13, 2018.
Did Maria Butina work for the Russian government?
In January 2015, Torshin became deputy governor of the Central Bank of Russia, and Butina worked as his special assistant until May 2017. In 2017, Butina told The Washington Post that she never worked for the Russian government.
What is Maria Butina doing in Las Vegas?
June 12: Maria Butina argues in an article she wrote for The National Interest that only a Republican president can improve relations between the U.S. and Russia. July 11: Butina attends FreedomFest in Las Vegas, where Trump is speaking and taking questions.
What did Maria Butina tell the Senate panel about backing?
"Alleged spy told Senate panel about backing from Russian billionaire". CNN. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018. ^ LaFraniere, Sharon; Rosenberg, Matthew; Goldman, Adam (July 17, 2018). "Maria Butina Loved Guns, Trump and Russia. It Was a Cover, Prosecutors Say". The New York Times.
Picks of the week
Spy Affair Another characteristically slick, ripped-from-the-headlines series from market leaders Wondery introduces us to Russian gun activist Maria Butina, who – as one does – fell in love with her father’s shotguns as a child and subsequently became an arms lobbyist.
Producer pick: Current Affairs
Packages at Amazon’s JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, New York City. Photograph: Brendan McDermid/Reuters
Talking points
Never listened to a podcast episode called Horny German Werewolves? Now’s your chance! This week, the Guardian interviewed the co-founder of Hell Bent For Metal, a show for LGBTQ rock devotees using “humour, optimism and positivity” to shine a light on an underrepresented group of fans and tackle homophobia.
What is Maria Butina's crime?
The six-part series revolves around Maria Butina, the Russian woman who was convicted in 2018 of conspiring to act as an illegal foreign agent. The podcast follows her time in America from 2015 to her conviction in 2018, featuring Celia’s interviews with Maria.
What is Maria's book about?
Apart from that, Maria has released a book chronicling her experiences, called ‘Prison Diary.’. She is also involved with a foundation aimed at assisting Russian citizens who have been imprisoned abroad. Patrick Byrne, on the other hand, had his Twitter account suspended.
What was Maria arrested for?
Maria was arrested in July 2018 and was charged with acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the attorney general. The prosecutors alleged that Maria worked to establish back-channels for communication to the Kremlin and infiltrate political organizations like the NRA.
Where did Maria move to?
Maria moved to the United States in 2016 to pursue a master’s degree at American University in Washington, D.C. The FBI had stated that in 2015, Maria had emailed Paul something called the “Diplomacy Project,” which was a proposal to use the NRA to foster friendlier relations between the United States and Russia.
What was Maria's interest in politics?
From a young age, Maria was interested in politics and was an active part of Vladimir Putin’s party’s youth wing.
Who is Patrick Byrne?
Patrick M. Byrne is the former CEO of Overstock, a website that sells furniture. In August 2019, he resigned from his post as CEO after a strange press release from him stated that he had assisted the FBI with the “Clinton Investigation” and the “Russian Investigation” in 2015.
When is the Spy Affair podcast coming out?
Podcast studio Wondery has released the first audio trailer for Spy Affair, a new six-part miniseries. The show, which premieres March 30th on Apple Podcasts, investigates the true story of Russian gun advocate Maria Butina, who was convicted in 2018 of conspiring to act as a foreign agent within the United States.
Who is the producer of Spy Affair?
Spy Affair will follow Butina’s entire journey in America, from a carefree Disney World trip in 2015 to finding herself a convicted criminal. Spy Affair is hosted by documentary producer and director Celia Aniskovich, who also wrote Spy Affair with Hannibal Deiz and produced the series with Heather Schroering.
How long was Maria Butina in prison?
18 months in prison. Maria Valeryevna Butina ( Russian: Мария Валерьевна Бутина, sometimes transliterated as Mariya Butina; born November 10, 1988) is a Russian political activist and former entrepreneur who was convicted in 2018 of acting as an unregistered foreign agent of Russia within the United States.
Where is Butina from?
Butina was born on November 10, 1988, in the Siberian city of Barnaul, in Altai Krai, about 210 miles (340 km) east of the present Kazakhstan–Russia border. Her mother was the chief engineer of an energy enterprise and her father Valery Viktorovich Butin was an entrepreneur who established a furniture manufacturing business in Barnaul. She has one sister and one maternal niece, Kira.
What did Butina say to Keene?
As Keene's guest, Butina rang the NRA's Liberty Bell, saying, "To the right to bear arms for citizens of the whole world.". Butina and Torshin also attended the 2015 NRA annual convention.
What did Butina Torshin do?
As part of her work as a foreign agent, Butina worked to infiltrate the National Rifle Association on behalf of Russia. Torshin and Butina established a cooperative relationship between the NRA and Right to Bear Arms. Torshin has attended NRA annual meetings in the United States since at least 2011.
Why was Butina arrested?
July 15: Butina is arrested in Washington, D.C., on charges of being an unregistered foreign agent of the Russian Federation working to infiltrate politically influential organizations in the U.S. and influence U.S. officials.
When did Butina Torshin resign from Right to Bear Arms?
April 25–27: Butina and Torshin attend the NRA annual conference in Indianapolis. Butina attends several meetings as a guest of Keene. Late 2014: Butina resigns from her position as the head of "Right to Bear Arms".
How long is Butina in jail?
Butina's attorneys and federal prosecutors declared in a November 16, 2018, court filing that they had entered into plea negotiations. On December 13, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to act as an illegal foreign agent, while the original charge of failing to register as a foreign agent was dropped. She faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison and, according to a CNN report, will "likely be deported after serving any time."
