U.S. Fears for Safety of Russian Cooperator Butina, Filing Says
Disclosure appears briefly on public court docket, then is removed
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The U.S. government fears for the safety of Maria Butina, the 30-year-old Russian who’s cooperating with U.S. prosecutors after admitting she failed to register as a foreign agent, according to a court filing.
The disclosure late Friday appeared briefly on the public court docket for the case before it was removed. In the filing, stamped with the words “Under Seal,” prosecutors asked a judge for a court order that would ensure Butina’s safety as she’s transported from an Alexandria, Virginia, jail to the venues where she’ll be debriefed as part of her cooperation agreement. The filing said the defense didn’t object to that request.