update 12/16/18:
NRA spending surged in 2016. And now we have to wonder what kind of influence Russia might have had with the NRA. https://t.co/edmgx2snwM
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) December 16, 2018
The NRA has more ties to Russian agents than previously known, our latest investigation shows https://t.co/WcQ9cY3MDP
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) December 17, 2018
The court papers charging Maria Butina with being a Russian agent cite an email in which she says the NRA is “the largest sponsor of the elections to the US congress” https://t.co/Uyjdu56ec3
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) July 21, 2018
Mariia Butina, a Russian national, has been charged with acting as a surreptitious Russian agent and establishing a secret back channel with the GOP through the NRA.
More likely to come on this; no wonder GOP members of HPSCI refused our request to bring her and others in. https://t.co/UWhoxHz3lr
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) July 16, 2018
The arrest of Russian National Maria Butina shows at least two things:
1. The Russians used the @NRA to influence US elections. Some questions are did NRA officials know and what did the influence consist of?
2. Another FU to @realDonaldTrump by the US @TheJusticeDept. https://t.co/20rBHujhpA
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) July 16, 2018
Butina with Jim Porter of the NRA. pic.twitter.com/l6DCK4tcHB
— Justin (@JNova__) July 16, 2018
Wisconsin's Republican Governor @ScottWalker took a boatload of money from a Russian oligarch and affected Maria Butina in a way that will "remain in my memory forever."#GrandOldPutinParty#TrumpRussia pic.twitter.com/vVKrC6IAym
— Grant Stern (@grantstern) July 16, 2018
FBI Special Agent Kevin Helson wrote that Butina was attempting to “establish a ‘back channel’ communication for representatives of the Government of Russia.” https://t.co/slReTHs5Eg
— Devlin Barrett (@DevlinBarrett) July 16, 2018
Here's video we previously uncovered of Trump speaking in 2015 to now indicted Russian national Maria Butina—and telling her that he'd likely drop sanctions against Putin https://t.co/6nJ0YjFGkw
— Mark Follman (@markfollman) July 16, 2018
Why didn't GOP Senators want to question a Russian spy who was trying to establish a back channel with the Kremlin? The American people deserve an answer. https://t.co/d9PcNHXxWX
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) July 16, 2018
Friends. I have been saying this for awhile. NRA & Russia. NRA ran ads against HRC on Benghazi, not guns, Benghazi. Also @BetoORourke is going to beat @tedcruz (my other favorite hobby horse). https://t.co/NZLJeYjDZ1
— Jennifer Palmieri (@jmpalmieri) July 16, 2018
WE
TOLD
YOUhttps://t.co/LIppQ1vh2Ohttps://t.co/6yYNrx5PyV
— Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) July 16, 2018
A judge decides alleged spy Mariia Butina, also known as Maria, should be held in jail until at least her next court appearance. Her attorney argued the Russian national is not a flight risk. https://t.co/r3fHGKw6Ap pic.twitter.com/uVMBZRlWa1
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) July 17, 2018
EXCLUSIVE: Republican Dana Rohrbacher and Democrat Greg Meeks were the congressional delegation referenced in the charges against alleged Russian spy Maria Butina. https://t.co/7p5IC59gLy
— Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) July 17, 2018
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) says he’s not sure whether he’s the congressman mentioned in Monday’s indictment of a Russian gun-rights activist for acting as an unregistered agent of the Kremlin — but he's sure the charge against the woman is “bogus” https://t.co/a9YSEUJ0Tf
— POLITICO (@politico) July 17, 2018
Sad! 