The US department of "Justice" has arrested a 29 year old firearms enthusiast and gun rights activist for alleged violations of the 1938 "Foreign Agents Registration Act" because she happens to be from Russia (archived, archived). There have been no successful prosecutions under the act since its scope was narrowed in 1966 and narrowed further in 1995. This chosen prosecution is curious because many foreign nationals unregistered as "foreign agents" are inside the US working in media, attending protests, and engaging in other political activity while not being prosecuted despite having interacted with government officials from back home at some point in time.
All of this ongoing anti-Russian agitation advanced by US law enforcement and their loyal pantsuit media, to defend the fiction that Hillary Clinton could have ever won the US Presidency, continues the increase the divide between the portion of the US government installed according to the Constitution and the portion that imagines they enjoy life tenures working in the civil service. Full text of the indictment is below:
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Holding a Criminal Term
Grand Jury Sworn in on May 3, 2018
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : CRIMINAL NO.
:
v. :
:
MARIIA BUTINA, : VIOLATIONS:
Also known as: :
Maria Butina, : 18 U.S.C. § 371
: (Conspiracy)
Defendant. :
: 18 U.S.C. § 951
: (Agents of Foreign Governments)INDICTMENT
The Grand Jury charges that:
COUNT ONE
General Allegations
At all times material to this Indictment:
1. MARIIA BUTINA, also known as “MARIA BUTINA” (“BUTINA”), was a
Russian citizen who entered the United States in August 2016 on an F-1 Student Visa. On the
visa application to the U.S. Department of State, BUTINA declared under penalty of perjury that
while she had been previously employed as Special Assistant to the RUSSIAN OFFICIAL, this
employment had ended on May 20, 2016. Despite her attestation, BUTINA continued to act
under the direction and control of the RUSSIAN OFFICIAL for the purpose of advancing the
interests of the Russian Federation after she entered the United States.
2. The RUSSIAN OFFICIAL, whose identity is known to the grand jury, was a
Russian citizen and a high-level official in the Russian government. The RUSSIAN OFFICIAL
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was previously a member of the legislature of the Russian Federation and later became a top
official at the Russian Central Bank. In April 2018, pursuant to Executive Order 13661, the U.S.
Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in consultation with the
U.S. Department of State, sanctioned the RUSSIAN OFFICIAL.
3. U.S. Person 1, whose identity is known to the grand jury, was a United States citizen
and an American political operative. U.S. Person 1 worked with BUTINA to arrange introductions
to U.S. persons having influence in American politics, including an organization promoting gun
rights (hereinafter “GUN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION”), for the purpose of advancing the interests
of the Russian Federation.
4. At no time was BUTINA a duly accredited diplomatic or consular officer; an
officially and publicly acknowledged and sponsored official or representative of the Russian
Federation; or an officially and publicly acknowledged and sponsored staff member or employee
thereof.
5. At no time did BUTINA notify the Attorney General, whose office in the
Department of Justice is located in the District of Columbia, that she would and did act in the
United States as an agent of a foreign government and official.
The Conspiracy
6. Beginning no later than in or around 2015, and possibly earlier, and continuing up
until the present, in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, BUTINA and others known and
unknown to the grand jury, including the RUSSIAN OFFICIAL, knowingly did combine,
conspire, confederate, and agree together and with each other to commit an offense against the
United States,
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to wit, Title 18, United States Code, Section 951, in violation of Title 18, United States Code,
Section 371.
Objects of the Conspiracy
7. The objects of the conspiracy were:
a. To act in the United States as an agent of a foreign government, specifically the
Russian Federation, without prior notification to the Attorney General;
b. To act in the United States as an agent of a foreign government official,
specifically the RUSSIAN OFFICIAL, without prior notification to the Attorney
General;
c. To exploit personal connections with U.S. persons having influence in American
politics in an effort to advance the interests of the Russian Federation, without
prior notification to the Attorney General; and
d. To infiltrate organizations active in American politics in an effort to advance the
interests of the Russian Federation, without prior notification to the Attorney
General.
Manner and Means of the Conspiracy
8. BUTINA and her conspirators would and did use the following manner and means,
among others, to accomplish the objects of the conspiracy:
a. While acting under the direction and control of an official of the Russian
Federation, BUTINA would meet in person and communicate via electronic
means with that official for the purpose of developing and executing a plan to
identify and exploit personal connections with U.S. persons having influence in
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American politics, who were in positions to advance the interests of the Russian
Federation.
b. For the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian Federation, BUTINA
established a relationship with U.S. Person 1 in Moscow who, thereafter, would
work with BUTINA in the United States to arrange introductions to U.S. persons
having influence in American politics.
c. While residing in the United States, BUTINA would work on behalf of the
RUSSIAN OFFICIAL by attempting to establish unofficial lines of
communications with U.S. politicians and political organizations for the purpose
of advancing the interests of the Russian Federation.
d. BUTINA would communicate via email, Twitter direct message, and other
means with the RUSSIAN OFFICIAL, and others, to send reports, seek
direction, and receive orders in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Overt Acts
9. In furtherance of this conspiracy, and to accomplish its purposes and objects, at least
one of the conspirators committed or caused to be committed, in the District of Columbia, and
elsewhere, at least one of the following overt acts, among others:
a. On or about March 14, 2016, BUTINA emailed a U.S. person in an effort to
develop, maintain, and exploit a relationship in furtherance of the conspiracy.
b. In or around August 2016, BUTINA entered the United States on an F-1 Student
Visa for the claimed purpose of attending university full time in the District of
Columbia, while continuing to act as an agent on behalf of the Russian Federation
and the RUSSIAN OFFICIAL.
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c. On or about September 26, 2016, BUTINA emailed a U.S. person to organize an
event for the purpose of influencing the views of U.S. officials, as those views relate
to the Russian Federation.
d. On or about November 11, 2016, BUTINA sent the RUSSIAN OFFICIAL a
Russian-language report that proposed ways to establish dialogue with U.S.
politicians through a conference.
e. On or about February 2, 2017, BUTINA and the RUSSIAN OFFICIAL attended
the National Prayer Breakfast in the District of Columbia, along with a delegation
from the Russian Federation.
(Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of a Foreign Government in violation of Title 18, United States
Code, Sections 371 and 951.)
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