The issue becomes more complicated in today’s society where “influencing” on social media is considered to be a viable career. The ambiguous nature of Butina’s crime of “influencing” sets a dangerous precedent for any foreign nationals who are networking in the USA. In Butina’s case, this area of interest was gun rights. Networking and influence tend to operate from a common point of interest. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Butina was born in Barnaul, a small provincial city 2,260 miles from Moscow. Her past can be traced back to her humble beginnings in Siberia. A simple look into Butina’s history reveals this familiar story. In America, we celebrate the grand legends around “rags to riches” and “strong women” who rise against all challenges to pursue their dreams. Butina wasn’t hired by the Kremlin to perform an influence campaign she volunteered. The evidence shows how Butina sought to influence foreign policy due to her own idealism and desire to insinuate herself into elite networks. In 2018, she pled guilty to conspiracy to act as a foreign agent after the FBI presented a case around her involvement in using the NRA to create illegal back channels between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign.Īlthough the FBI’s affidavit fails to prove Butina’s formal employment by the Russian Federation, the document does paint a clear picture of an ambitious young woman motivated by power. “Russian spy” Maria Butina, who joined the ranks of the Russian parliament last month, had an untraditional rise. Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |