Accused Russian Agent Is Ordered to Be Held in U.S. Jail
- Butina’s lawyer said she posed no threat, wouldn’t flee U.S.
- U.S. claims Butina offered sex for political influence
Mariia Butina in Moscow. in 2013.
Source: STR/AFP/Getty Images
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A Russian national and gun-rights advocate was ordered jailed in the U.S. until her trial on charges she conspired to establish a back channel between Russians and American politicians, after prosecutors said she had ties to Russia’s intelligence services and oligarchs who could offer her safe harbor.
Mariia Butina’s bail hearing in Washington offered a surprise as well: Prosecutors said they’re conducting a fraud investigation of a U.S. political operative who had lived with Butina and provided access to an extensive network of Americans in position to influence political activities in the country.