ARGUMENTS AND COHEN’S CRIMES AND WHAT HE HAS PLEAD TO, AND ON
WEDNESDAY MORNING, MICHAEL COHEN
WILL HAVE HIS SENTENCE HANDED
DOWN.
DOWN. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE.
BECAUSE NOW TONIGHT WE HAVE
LEARNED ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE
REALLY IMPORTANT THAT IS GOING
TO HAPPEN THAT SAME DAY AFTER
COHEN IS SENTENCED.
IT’S GOING TO BE JUST HOURS
AFTER COHEN’S SENTENCING IN A
HEARING THAT IS SET FOR A D.C.
COURTROOM AT 3:15 EASTERN TIME
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WE LEARNED TODAY THAT IN THE
CASE OF MARIA BUTINA, SHE IS
ACCUSED BY PROSECUTORS OF BEING
A FOREIGN AGENT, WORKING
SECRETLY ON BEHALF OF THE
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT, TO INFLUENCE
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, THE
CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT AND POEMLY
THE 20 SAN FRANCISCO ELECTION,
WE LEARNED TODAY THAT MARIA
BUTINA’S CASE IS COMING TO AN
END.
END. THE PROSECUTORS AND DEFENSE
LAWYERS TELLING THE JUDGE TODAY
THAT THEY HAD REACHED SOME KIND
OF RESOLUTION FOR HER CASE.
THEY ALSO ASKED THE JUDGE TO
SCHEDULE A HEARING IN WHICH SHE
COULD CHANGE HER PLEA.
MARIA BUTINA HAD PREVIOUSLY
PLEAD NOT GUILTY.
SO WANTING TO CHANGE HER PLEA
IMPLIES SHE NOW INTENDS TO PLEAD
GUILTY.
GUILTY. THEN ABC NEWS WAS FIRST TO
REPORT TONIGHT THAT IN
CONJUNCTION WITH HER GUILTY PLEA
TO A CONSPIRACY CHARGE, MARIA
BUTINA WILL ALSO AGREE TO
COOPERATE, TO COOPERATE WITH
FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL
AUTHORITIES IN ONGOING
INVESTIGATIONS.
INVESTIGATIONS. CNN SOON ADDED THE FACT OR THE
REPORT THAT BUTINA HAS ALREADY
STARTED MEETING WITH PROSECUTORS
AS PART OF THIS DEAL.
IF THIS ABC AND CNN REPORTING IS
CORRECT, THAT MEANS THAT ON
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, THE JUDGE
WILL BE HEARING MARIA BUTINA’S
GUILTY PLEA, AND WE PRESUMABLY
WILL HAVE SOME PUBLIC-FACING
INDICATION OF THE KIND OF
COOPERATION DEAL SHE IS MAKING
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT PLEA.
I SHOULD TELL YOU THE DAILY
BEAST HAS JUST MATCHED THAT
REPORTING FROM ABC NEWS AND CNN,
AND IN THEIR REPORT, THEY’RE
ADDING SOME SORT OF INCREDIBLE
DETAILS THAT THEY SAY ARE QUOTES
FROM THE PLEA AGREEMENT.
AND AGAIN, NBC NEWS HAS NOT
CONFIRMED THIS REPORTING, BUT
HERE IS TWO EXAMPLES OF WHAT THE
DAILY BEAST IS CITING TONIGHT,
SAYING THIS IS FROM THE PLEA
AGREEMENT THAT WE WILL SEE IN
COURT WHEN MARIA BUTINA HAS HER
HEARING TO CHANGE HER PLEA.
QUOTE, BUTINA HELPED ARRANGE A
TRIP TO MOSCOW FOR NRA LEADERS
IN DECEMBER 2015.
SHE PUSHED FOR THOSE AMERICANS
TO VISIT WITH SENIOR RUSSIAN
POLITICIANS, ACCORDING TO THE
PLEA DEAL.
PLEA DEAL. THE AMERICANS ON THE TRIP MET
WITH SERGEI LAVROV, RUSSIA’S
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND
DIMITRI RIGOSIN.
DIMITRI RIGOSIN. AFTER SHE SENT A MESSAGE TO THE
RUSSIAN CENTRAL BANK OFFICIAL TO
WHOM SHE ALLEGEDLY REPORTED AS
PART OF THIS FOREIGN THE AGENT
SCHEME.
SCHEME. HER MESSAGE HAD TWO TRANSLATIONS
IN THE PLEA AGREEMENT.
THE FIRST TRANSLATION ABOUT
THESE NRA OFFICIALS GOING TO
MOSCOW IN DECEMBER 2015 SAID,
QUOTE, WE SHOULD LET THEM
EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE NOW.
WE WILL PUT PRESSURE ON THEM
QUIETLY LATER.
QUIETLY LATER. THE SECOND TRANSLATION, THE
ALTERNATE TRANSLATION IN THE
PLEA AGREEMENT ACCORDING TO THE
DAILY BEAST SAID, QUOTE, WE
SHOULD ALLOW THEM TO EXPRESS
THEIR GRATITUDE NOW AND THEN
QUIETLY PRESS.
QUIETLY PRESS. SO, AGAIN, THAT WAS A TRIP TO
MEET WITH RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS IN MOSCOW IN DECEMBER
2015.
2015. IT WAS SENIOR PEOPLE IN THE NRA.
WE WILL PUT PRESSURE ON THEM
QUIETLY LATER.
QUIETLY LATER. LET THEM EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE
NOW.
NOW. THAT NRA TRIP IN DECEMBER 2015,
THAT WAS AT THE EXACT SAME TIME
THAT TRUMP NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER MIKE FLYNN WAS ALSO IN
MOSCOW, SITTING WITH VLADIMIR
PUTIN AT A GALA DINNER THE
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT PAID HIM TO
ATTEND.
ATTEND. THE DAILY BEAST ALSO REPORTS
THIS TONIGHT, QUOTE, ACCORDING
TO THE PLEA DEAL, BUTINA ALSO
HELPED ARRANGE FOR A GROUP OF
RUSSIANS TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL
PRAYER BREAKFAST IN WASHINGTON,
WHICH WAS HELD ON FEBRUARY 2nd,
2017.
2017. SO RIGHT AFTER TRUMP’S
INAUGURATION.
INAUGURATION. BUTINA E-MAILED HER PURPORTED
BOYFRIEND, REPUBLICAN ACTIVIST
ROBERT ERICKSON WITH A LIST OF
ATTENDEES FOR THE NATIONAL
PRAYER BREAKFAST.
PRAYER BREAKFAST. SHE TOLD HIM THEY WERE COMING TO
THE BREAKFAST TO, QUOTE,
ESTABLISH A BACK CHANNEL OF
COMMUNICATION.
COMMUNICATION. THAT’S SUBTLE.
THAT’S SUBTLE. ERICKSON LATER E-MAILED THE LIST
TO ANOTHER PERSON.
REACTION TO THE DELEGATION’S
PRESENCE IN AMERICA WILL BE
CONVEYED DIRECTLY TO RUSSIAN
PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN AND
FOREIGN MINISTER SERGEI LAVROV,
HE WROTE.
HE WROTE. SO WE’RE GOING TO TALK WITH THE
DAILY BEAST REPORTER IN JUST A
MOMENT WHOSE BEEN ALL OVER THIS
STORY.
STORY. BUT THIS IS A BIG KEEL, RIGHT?
THIS IS THE FIRST RUSSIAN TO
PLEAD GUILTY TO A PRIME THAT HAS
ANYTHING TO DO WITH INFLUENCING
AMERICAN POLITICS OR THE 20 SAN
FRANCISCO ELECTIONS.
FRANCISCO ELECTIONS. SO THIS IS A BIG DEAL.
BUT CAN WE ALSO JUST CONSIDER
FOR A SECOND WHAT MIGHT BE GOING
ON HERE WITH THE NRA, RIGHT?
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION, THE
NRA.
NRA. IS THOUGHT OF AND HAS LONG BEEN
THOUGHT OF AS A POWERHOUSE IN
WASHINGTON AND AMERICAN POLITICS
WHEN IT COMES TO LOBBYING AND
INFLUENCE AND ESPECIALLY MONEY
IN ELECTIONS.
IN ELECTIONS. THE NRA DOES SPEND A TON OF
MONEY EVERY ELECTION CYCLE, AND
ESPECIALLY EVERY PRESIDENTIAL
YEAR.
YEAR. BUT CLEARLY SOMETHING WEIRD
HAPPENED WITH THE NRA IN 2016.
FOR SOME REASON, IN 2016, THE
NRA JUST EXPLODED ITS PREVIOUS
SPENDING RECORDS.
SPENDING RECORDS. THE NRA IN 2016 PUMPED $30
MILLION INTO GETTING DONALD
TRUMP ELECTED.
TRUMP ELECTED. AND IMPORTANTLY, THEY MADE SURE
THAT MOST OF THAT MONEY CAME OUT
OF AN ARM OF THE NRA THAT
DOESN’T DISCLOSE ANYTHING ABOUT
ITS DONORS.
ITS DONORS. AND I KNOW LIKE IN THE NEWS
THERE IS ALWAYS LARGE ROUND
NUMBERS, RIGHT?
NUMBERS, RIGHT? $30 MILLION.
$30 MILLION. SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY.
A BIG ROUND NUMBER.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
FOR CONTEXT HERE, IN ORDER TO
UNDERSTAND WHY I’M SAYING THAT’S
A REALLY STRANGE AMOUNT OF MONEY
FOR THEM TO HAVE SPENT, THAT $30
MILLION THEY SPENT ON TRUMP,
THAT IS TRIPLE WHAT THEY SPENT
THE LAST TIME AROUND IN THE LAST
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ON MITT
ROMNEY.
ROMNEY. ALMOST THREE TIMES WHAT THEY
SPENT ON ROMNEY.
NOW WHAT’S THAT ABOUT?
TRUMP IS NOT A MORE PRO-GUN
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE THAN WE
HAVE SEEN IN OTHER ELECTION
CYCLES.
CYCLES. WHY DID THE NRA GO OFF THE
CHARTS FOR HIM IN A WAY THEY
NEVER HAD FOR ANY OTHER
CANDIDATE IN ANY OTHER ELECTION?
AND WHAT DO WE MAKE OF THAT,
ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT WE HAVE
SEEN THE NRA’S FINANCES
APPARENTLY FALL APART VERY
QUICKLY SINCE THEN?
IN A COURT FILING THIS SUMMER,
THE NRA SAID ITS FINANCIAL
POSITION IS SO DIRE IT MAY SOON,
QUOTE, BE UNABLE TO EXIST.
THE NRA HAD STARTED A DIGITAL TV
NETWORK TO EXPAND ITS REACH AND
INFLUENCE.
INFLUENCE. THAT DIGITAL TV NETWORK APPEARS
TO BE IMPLODING AS WE SPEAK WITH
SOME OF THEIR BIGGEST NRA TV
STARS GETTING THEIR SHOWS SHUT
DOWN, EVEN JUST TONIGHT.
SO WHAT EXPLAINS THIS GIGANTIC
SEESAW, BIGGEST SPENDING EVER IN
2016 BY A MILE, AND THEN WHAT
APPEARS TO BE FINANCIAL RUIN,
CERTAINLY FINANCIAL ATROPHY JUST
WITHIN A COUPLE OF YEARS.
THE NRA MONEY IN THE 2016
CAMPAIGN JUST DOESN’T MAKE MUCH
SENSE GIVEN THE HISTORY OF THE
NRA AND GIVEN THE CAMPAIGN.
THEN WE GOT THIS REPORT LAST
WEEK THAT THE NRA’S HUGE BOOST
IN SPENDING IN 2016 MAY NOT HAVE
BEEN JUST INDEPENDENT
EXPENDITURES THAT REDOUNDED TO
DONALD TRUMP’S BENEFIT AND THE
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. THERE IS SOME PRETTY COMPELLING
EVIDENCE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN
ILLEGAL COORDINATION BETWEEN THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND THE NRA WHEN
IT COMES TO SPENDING THOSE TENS
OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO ELECT
TRUMP AND BEAT HILLARY CLINTON.
ANOTHER REPORT IN MOTHER JONES
MAGAZINE SHOWS THAT EVIDENCE,
HUNDREDS OF PAGES OF FEDERAL
CAMPAIGN RECORDS APPEARS TO SHOW
THE NRA AND THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
OVERTLY COORDINATING THEIR
MESSAGING STRATEGY AND THEIR AD
BUYING THROUGH THE SAME PERSON.
REPORTERS SHOWED THOSE RECORDS
TO THE FORMER CHAIR OF THE
FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION, AND
THE EX-CHAIR TOLD MOTHER JONES,
QUOTE, I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER
SEEN A SITUATION WHERE ILLEGAL
COORDINATION SEEMS MORE OBVIOUS.
IT’S SO PLATE IMPORTANT THAT IT
DOESN’T EVEN SEEM SLOPPY.
EVERYONE INVOLVES SEEMS TO THINK
THERE AREN’T GOING TO BE ANY
CONSEQUENCES.
CONSEQUENCES. AND I KNOW LIKE IN A WAY THIS IS
KIND OF A BIG ROUND NUMBER OF
POLITICAL SCANDAL, RIGHT.
POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND ADVOCACY
GROUPS THAT AREN’T SUPPOSED TO
BE COORDINATING WITH EACH OTHER,
NEVERTHELESS ILLEGALLY
NEVERTHELESS ILLEGALLY COORDINATING AND ILLEGALLY
WORKING TOGETHER.
WORKING TOGETHER. I KNOW YOU’VE HEARD THAT A
MILLION TIMES.
MILLION TIMES. IT’S LIKE A MAN BITES DOG STORY
OF FEDERAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE
VIOLATIONS.
VIOLATIONS. BUT DON’T JUST LOOK AT THAT IN
ISOLATION.
ISOLATION. PUT THAT APPARENT CLOSENESS
BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND
THE NRA, THIS BLATANT ILLEGAL
COORDINATION, ABOUT WHAT APPEARS
TO BE BLATANT ILLEGAL
COORDINATION, PUT THAT TOGETHER
WITH THE NRA INEXPLICABLY
TRIPLING THEIR SPENDING IN ORDER
TO SUPPORT TRUMP, AND IT DOES
SEEM LIKE THERE MIGHT BE
SOMETHING GOING ON THERE,
ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT THEIR
SPENDING TO SUPPORT TRUMP WAS
ALL PART OF THE NRA WHERE THEY
DON’T HAVE TO SAY WHERE THE
MONEY CAME FROM.
I SHOULD ALSO MENTION WHILE I
LIKE BEING SNARKY ABOUT CAMPAIGN
FINANCE VIOLATIONS, WILLFULLY
VIOLATING CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW
IS STARTING TO BECOME PERHAPS
MAYBE A MORE CONSEQUENTIAL THING
THESE DAYS.
THESE DAYS. YOU CAN ASK MICHAEL COHEN ABOUT
THAT WHEN HE TURNS UP IN COURT
ON WEDNESDAY FOR AMONG OTHER
THINGS PLEADING GUILTY TO
FELONIES INVOLVING CAMPAIGN
FINANCE LAWS.
FINANCE LAWS. BUT ALONGSIDE ALL THAT WEIRD
MONEY STUFF, THERE WAS ALSO A
STRANGE TURN THAT HAPPENED IN
THE LEAD-UP TO THE 2016 CAMPAIGN
IN TERMS OF HOW WE UNDERSTAND
THE NRA AND ITS POLITICS.
IT’S A TERM THAT SEEMS LITERALLY
FOREIGN.
FOREIGN. IN THE LEAD-UP TO THE 2016
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, THERE WAS
ALL OF THE SUDDEN A WEIRD
RUSSIAN TWIST IN U.S. GUN
POLITICS.
POLITICS. A SPELLED OUT MARIA BUTINA’S
PLEA AGREEMENT IN DECEMBER 2015
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN RIGHT
BEFORE THE IOWA CAUCUSES, A
FORMER NRA PRESIDENT AND A
FUTURE NRA PRESIDENT AND A WHOLE
DELEGATION OF FARNRA OFFICIALS A
MEMBERS ALL GOT AN ALL-EXPENSES
PAID TRIP TO MOSCOW.
IT WAS ORGANIZED BY THE RIGHT TO
BEAR ARMS, PURPORTEDLY A GUN
RIGHTS GROUP FOUNDED BY A SENIOR
MEMBER OF VLADIMIR PUTIN’S
POLITICAL PARTY.
POLITICAL PARTY. A HEAD OF THAT IS A DEPUTY
GOVERNOR OF THE RUSSIAN BANK.
HE IS A CLOSE ALLY OF VLADIMIR
PUTIN.
PUTIN. AND TORSIAN’S GROUP, THE RIGHTS
TO BEAR ARMS GROUP HAS ALWAYS
BEEN KIND OF A HEAD SCRATCHER.
BECAUSE PUTIN AND HIS PARTY
DON’T ACTUALLY SUPPORT GUN
RIGHTS IN RUSSIA.
AND ALEXANDER TORSIAN’S GROUP
DOESN’T DO ANYTHING TO SUPPORT
GUN RIGHTS IN RUSSIA, AT ALL.
WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS MAKE LOTS
AND LOTS OF CONNECTIONS TO THE
AMERICAN NRA.
AMERICAN NRA. THIS OFFICIAL ALEXANDER TORSIAN
AND HIS PROTEGE MARIA BUTINA
STARTED ATTENDING THE NRA’S
YEARLY CONFERENCES EVERY YEAR IN
THE USA.
THE USA. AT THE START OF THE 2016
CAMPAIGN, TORSIAN AND BUTINA
HOSTED THAT DELEGATION IN
MOSCOW, DECEMBER 2015.
THEN DURING THE CAMPAIGN, BUTINA
WAS FLYING AROUND THE COUNTRY,
SHOWING UP AT EVENTS FOR VARIOUS
PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS DURING THE
PRIMARIES, INCLUDING FAMOUSLY A
LAS VEGAS EVENT WITH DONALD
TRUMP WHERE MARIA BUTINA BECAME
THE VERY FIRST PERSON TO ASK
TRUMP HIS POSITION ON U.S.
SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA.
SHE WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO GET
HIM ON RECORD OPPOSING THOSE
SANCTIONS.
SANCTIONS. IN MAY 2016, BUTINA’S BOYFRIEND,
AN AMERICAN REPUBLICAN ACTIVIST,
PAUL ERICKSON, REACHED OUT TO A
TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER OFFERING
TO ARRANGE A BACK CHANNEL
MEETING BETWEEN DONALD TRUMP AND
VLADIMIR PUTIN.
VLADIMIR PUTIN. HE DID IT BY E-MAIL WITH THE
UNSUBTLE SUGGEST LINE, KREMLIN
CONNECTION.
CONNECTION. AND PAUL ERICKSON DIDN’T NAME
ALEXANDER TORSIAN IN THE E-MAIL
BUT HE REFERRED TO HIM AS
PRESIDENT PUTIN’S EMISSARY ON
THIS OVERTURE.
THIS OVERTURE. THAT DIDN’T WORK, BUT THAT SAME
MONTH TORSIAN SOUGHT A MEETING
WITH DONALD TRUMP AT AN NRA
CONVENTION.
CONVENTION. AND THAT ITSELF DIDN’T PAN OUT,
BUT TORSIAN DID GET TO SPEND
SOME TIME WITH DONALD TRUMP JR.
AT A GALA HOSTED BE I THE NRA.
AND THEN AT THE BEGINNING OF
THIS YEAR, WE LEARN THAT THE FBI
WAS INVESTIGATING WHETHER ALL OF
THIS, THE NRA’S HUGE SPIKE IN
2016 CAMPAIGN SPENDING, ITS
WEIRD AND SUDDEN AND SUDDENLY
DEEPENING RUSSIA TIES, AND THIS
RUSSIAN OFFICIAL ALEKSANDR
TORSHIN’S PERSISTENT ATTEMPTS TO
CONNECT WITH DONALD TRUMP OR TO
CONNECT DONALD TRUMP AND THE
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT, WE LEARNED A
THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR THAT
THE FBI WAS INVESTIGATING
WHETHER ALL THOSE THINGS MIGHT
BE INVESTIGATED.
BE INVESTIGATED. McCLATCHY REPORTING IN JANUARY,
QUOTE, THE FBI IS INVESTIGATING
WHETHER A TOP RUSSIAN BANKER
WITH TIES TO THE KREMLIN
ILLEGALLY FUNNELED MONEY TO THE
NRA TO HELP DONALD TRUMP WIN THE
PRESIDENCY.
PRESIDENCY. QUOTE, FBI COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
INVESTIGATORS HAVE FOCUSED ON
THE ACTIVITIES OF ALEKSANDR
TORSHIN, THE DEPUTY GOVERNOR OF
RUSSIA’S CENTRAL BANK, WHO WAS
KNOWN FOR HIS CLOSE
RELATIONSHIPS WITH BOTH RUSSIAN
PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN AND THE
NRA.
NRA. AND THEN, OF COURSE, NOT LONG
THEREAFTER, MARIA BUTINA GOT
ARRESTED.
ARRESTED. AND CHARGED WITH CONSPIRING
AGAINST THE UNITED STATES AS A
SECRET RUSSIAN AGENT.
NOW PROSECUTORS SS ALLEGE THAT A
OF HER WORK IN GUN RIGHTS
CIRCLES IN THE U.S. AND PERHAPS
EVEN HER ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP
WITH THIS REPUBLICAN ACTIVIST
PAUL ERICKSON, PROSECUTORS HAVE
INSINUATED THAT IT WAS ALL PART
OF A RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE
OPERATION BEING RUN BY ALEKSANDR
TORSHIN.
TORSHIN. THE AFFIDAVITS SUBMITTED BY
PROSECUTORS IN CONJUNCTION WITH
THE CHARGES IN HER CASE, THERE
IS MARIA BUTINA AT 3:00 A.M.,
THE NIGHT OF THE ELECTION, JUST
AFTER DONALD TRUMP HAS WON THE
ELECTION, E-MAILING ALEKSANDR
TORSHIN IN MOSCOW, QUOTE, I AM
READY FOR FURTHER ORDERS.
WHAT WAS THE NRA DOING TIED UP
WITH THESE GUYS?
AND NOW JUST IN THE LAST WEEK,
THINGS ARE MOVING FAST FOR BOTH
MARIA BUTINA AND FOR ALEKSANDR
TORSHIN.
TORSHIN. LAST WEEK, ALEKSANDR TORSHIN
MORE OR LESS EVAPORATED IN
MOSCOW.
MOSCOW. THE RUSSIAN CENTRAL BANK WHERE
HE HAD BEEN A DEPUTY GOVERNOR IN
A VERY HIGH PROFILE OFFICIAL
ANNOUNCED UNEXPECTEDLY THAT HE
HAD SUDDENLY RETIRED.
AND BLOOMBERG NEWS’ RATHER
OMINOUS CHARACTERIZATION, QUOTE,
THE CENTRAL BANK DECLINED TO
ELABORATE ON ITS ONE-SENTENCE
STATEMENT FRIDAY.
STATEMENT FRIDAY. TORSHIN DID NOT IMMEDIATELY
RESPOND TO ATTEMPTS TO REACH
HIM.
HIM. HAPPY RETIREMENT ALL OF THE
SUDDEN.
SUDDEN. IT CAN’T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO
WITH THE FACT THAT THE AGENT YOU
WERE RUNNING IN THE U.S. IS
COPPING A PLEA AND MAKING AN
AGREEMENT WITH THE FIB NOW, CAN
IT?
IT? NOW TODAY WE APPARENTLY GOT HIS
ALLEGED AGREEMENT, MARIA BUTINA
REPORTEDLY AGREEING TO COP A
PLEA AND AGREEING TO COOPERATE
WITH THE FBI AND FEDERAL
PROSECUTORS.
PROSECUTORS. SO HERE’S MY QUESTION.
MARIA BUTINA HAS BEEN IN JAIL
SINCE SHE GOT ARRESTED.
SHE HAS BEEN DENIED BAIL.
WE HAVE VERY LITTLE WINDOW INTO
WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON WITH HER
CASE.
CASE. THERE IS A GAG ORDER ON THE
CASE.
CASE. WE HAD VERY LITTLE TRANSPARENCY
THERE.
THERE. IF SHE IN FACT IS GOING TO
PLEAD, THE US THAT MEAN WE’RE
FINALLY GOING TO FIGURE THIS
OUT?
OUT? IF SHE’S COOPERATING, ALREADY,
IF SHE IS GOING TO ENTER INTO A
FORMAL COOPERATION DEAL AND
PLEAD GUILTY, WILL THIS EVEN
THIS WEEK IN COURT SHED LIGHT
ON, OKAY, WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE
RELATED CASE OF PAUL ERICKSON,
THE REPUBLICAN ACTIVIST AND NRA
MEMBER WHO WAS HER MAYBE
BOYFRIEND WHO APPEARS TO HAVE
BEEN HER ENTREE INTO THIS WORLD.
WE’VE HAD REPORTS FROM THE DAILY
BEAST SEVERAL DAYS AGO THAT HE
HAS RECEIVED A TARGET LETTER
THAT FEDERAL PROSECUTORS ARE
CONSIDERING CHARGING HIM AS A
FOREIGN AGENT, AS AN AGENT OF
THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT OPERATING
IN THIS COUNTRY.
WILL THE ERICKSON CASE FINALLY
BECOME CLEAR IF MARIA BUTINA IS
PLEADING AND COOPERATING?
THEN THERE IS THE QUESTION OF
WHETHER HER PLEA WILL ULTIMATELY
GIVE US A WINDOW INTO WHAT
FREAKING HAPPENED WITH THE NRA
IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS ELECTION
INTERFERENCE SCANDAL.
INTERFERENCE SCANDAL. COULD THE RESOLUTION OF MARIA
BUTINA’S CASE FINALLY GIVE US A
WINDOW INTO WHAT HAS BEEN GOING
ON HERE?
ON HERE? IF THE FBI HAS BEEN
INVESTIGATING, AMONG OTHER
THINGS, THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE
NRA WAS USED AS A LARGE SCALE
CONDUIT FOR RUSSIAN MONEY INTO
THE EFFORT TO ELECT PRESIDENT
TRUMP PRESIDENT, WILL THE MARIA
BOUTROS BOUTROS-GHALI -- BUTINA