russian intrigue
Prosecutors say alleged secret agent Mariia Butina offered sex for a job, was in touch with Russian intelligence
Alleged Kremlin agent Mariia Butina lied to obtain a student visa in 2016 and offered to have sex with an American in order to get a job at an unidentified special interest organization, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday.
Butina, who was arrested Sunday, is charged with conspiracy and illegally acting as an agent of the Russian government, with prosecutors saying she was part of a campaign to influence high-level politicians to go along with Russian objectives. She allegedly started by infiltrating conservative circles, including the National Rifle Association, in order to gain access to politicians, all while staying in contact with Russian intelligence operatives and an oligarch with close ties to the Kremlin.
Prosecutors said she lived with a Republican political operative that she referred to as her boyfriend, but she had "disdain" for him and made him do her homework for classes at American University, The New York Times reports. It's believed that Butina worked under the direction of Alexander Torshin, the deputy head of the Russian central bank with ties to Russian security services. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson denied Butina bail, after prosecutors argued she was a flight risk. If convicted, Butina could face up to 15 years in prison. She has not been charged with espionage, and this case is not part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling.