Maria Butina, the woman accused of being a Russian spy and infiltrating Republican political circles during the 2016 presidential campaign, is in court this morning to change her “not guilty” plea.
Butina was arrested in July as she made preparations to flee the country and charged with conspiracy and being an unregistered foreign agent for Russia. She was kept in custody because of the risk of flight and has been in solitary confinement since. The 30 year old Russian gun rights advocate was in contact with a Russian diplomat believed to be a Russian Intelligence Officer and with Alexander Torshin, a Russian oligarch with ties to Putin, before her arrest.
Earlier this week, court filings indicted she was requesting to change her plea and both her attorneys and the prosecutors stated the case had been resolved. Her hearing was scheduled for 10:30 am.
CNN reports that Butina has been cooperating with prosecutors even ahead of her plea change. She has been giving prosecutors information about her live-in boyfriend, Paul Erickson, a GOP political operative who helped her make contact with NRA officials and important Republican leaders.
The News Blender will update as details are available.
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