Russian agent Maria Butina's boyfriend, Paul Erickson, charged with fraud

Paul Erickson, a Republican political operative who dated Russian agent Maria Butina, has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering in South Dakota.

Erickson, 57, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, and is out on bond. His federal indictment is separate from Butina's, and he stands accused of defrauding investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in three real estate and health care ventures.

Prosecutors said Butina was part of a secret Russian influence campaign, able to gain access to conservative politicians and members of the National Rifle Association through Erickson. Together, Butina and Erickson arranged for NRA leaders to visit Russia in December 2015, where they attended meetings with top government officials.

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Butina pleaded guilty in December to conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government, admitting that she worked on behalf of a high-level Russian official to "establish unofficial lines of communications with Americans who have power and influence over U.S. politics." She is awaiting sentencing.