At the airport, Butina tells a group of journos that “Russians don’t surrender,” apparently forgetting that she pleaded guilty to a felony in the US and testified against Alexander Torshin, which got him booted out of Russia’s Central Bank. pic.twitter.com/O8a3SfdZdE
— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) October 26, 2019
NEW: Maria Butina Receives Hero’s Welcome in Moscow https://t.co/6ZjkYPQ6Fv
My latest for @thedailybeast
— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) October 26, 2019
One day you’re the NRA’s top pin-up girl, the next you’re (allegedly) fighting for food in an American prison:
… Eagerly anticipating Butina’s impending liberation, Russian state media outlets expected to live-stream her release, but U.S. authorities had other plans. Having traveled to the Tallahassee Federal Correctional Institution from Atlanta, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida, Russian state TV stringers were stranded for hours filming traffic, building exits and geese on the lawn. Meanwhile, Butina was quietly whisked out of the facility and transferred to the custody of ICE for a speedy deportation back to Russia…
Appearing on 60 Minutes—the most popular news talk show in Russia—the correspondent of Russia’s state-TV channel Rossiya-24 Valentin Bogdanov pointed out that the Western media no longer dares to call Butina a spy. “They’re being careful,” Bogdanov said, speculating that media outlets are afraid of being sued for using the wrong language. In the Kremlin-controlled Russian media, Butina is being described mainly in glowing terms…
Working at the direction of a Russian government official, Alexander Torshin, Butina infiltrated Republican political circles and the National Rifle Association around the time of the 2016 election in order to promote Russian interests. In September of 2019, an investigation by Senate Democrats determined that the NRA has acted as a “foreign asset” in providing Russian officials access to US political organizations.
In court documents, prosecutors argued that Butina’s efforts had the hallmarks of a Russian espionage operation, suggesting that she was acting as a “spotter” by identifying people who have the ability to influence policy in Russia’s favor, as a set of targets Russian spies could potentially cultivate. Investigators from special counsel Robert Mueller’s team questioned Butina on only one occasion for approximately an hour. Her name was left out of the final version of the Special Counsel’s redacted report. Many questions about the full scope of Maria Butina’s activities in the United States remain unanswered…
There is little doubt that Maria Butina will be actively used by Russian state media for anti-American propaganda. Butina also has other plans. In April, she told CNN that she might start tutoring Russian students who want to study in America.
Maria Butina says she has no plans to return to the US at the moment for personal safety reasons. She has been deported for committing a felony and would never be allowed back. https://t.co/SIWzvRsdtu
— X Soviet (@XSovietNews) October 26, 2019
On the surface, but historically Russia has always assumed that those jailed abroad may have been recruited while in custody, and they have met unpleasant fates on their return. https://t.co/6Gf0SdIS5r
— X Soviet (@XSovietNews) October 26, 2019
Putin expects others to be like him and keep someone in prison until an exchange is agreed. Maria Butina was released even before the end of her sentence, so Putin has no need to offer Paul Whelan in return. For him people are just bargaining chips. https://t.co/vo6YQtb8HI
— X Soviet (@XSovietNews) October 26, 2019
Why would Alexander Malkevich (left), the editor of one of the Internet Research Agency’s disinformation websites aimed at the United States be meeting Maria Butina with flowers at the Moscow airport? Sure looks like him. https://t.co/12P70I5u05
— Mike Walker (@New_Narrative) October 26, 2019
Achrachno
Did we wring all the information out of her that we could? Especially about NRA, crooked legislators, etc. Or was there disinterest in doing that?
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
Why Butina released before the end of her sentence?
Achrachno
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: Maybe to keep her from talking to congress?
Suzanne
Had two more job interviews on Friday. One in Boston and one in Pittsburgh. I’m tired.
Anne Laurie
@Suzanne:
Fingers crossed the job you finally accept is the perfect one for you!
jl
Well, you know, in Russia, people let fame and celebration go to their heads, they’re spinning. Easy for an accident to happen when the fuss dies down. Might fall out a fourth floor window or parking garage, or walk under a bathtub or safe falling down, for instance. It would wrong, and I seriously hope it doesn’t happen, but I guess it does.
On the other hand, she was so publicly outrageous and got so many people compromised, I have to wonder if her getting caught was all the plan from the beginning. Maybe her fate depends on how much dirt on the GOP she can deliver.
smike
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:
Trump/Putin. Putin/Trump.
One could only wish that it was some 11th dimensional chess.
Where’s the deep state when you need them?
jl
As long as the topic is Russia, this is interesting. I was purposefully busy when El Gran Jefe y Nuestra unica salvacion Trumpo made his speech. I guess I need to read it, since this seems weird:
@mbaram
” So he’s thanked and lauded Russia now THREE times, compared to thanking our own special forces ONCE. ”
https://twitter.com/mbaram/status/1188448674818543616
This tweet was found via joshtpm twitter account from 16 hours ago. Follow-up tweets on joshtpm say Trump’s description of role of Russia in the raid is BS and false. And military brass is leaking the the dimwit (edit: cowardly, fraudulent,) crook president damn near wrecked the raid because he let Ergogan roll over him.
I guess my question is whether Putin told Trump to shower Russia with bogus praise, or Erogan made him do it just for shits and giggles to watch Trump make an ass of himself in front of the whole world one more time. Did Trump praise Turkey again too? Or give the raid as evidence that the Kurds are very very happy and will keep working with the US because the love Trump, call him Sir, and weep when they talk to him.
rikyrah
@Suzanne:
Good luck???
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
speaking of Яussian assets, Taibbi says Butina was “railroaded”
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
I wonder how long she’s going to stay alive, and how it’s going to happen once Vladimir gives the word.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
@jl:
If I was bankrupt and Putin ordered his oligarchs to give me hundreds of millions of dollars, I’d be thanking him repeatedly on a daily basis, forever.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Deadspin has some great audio and video of Dump getting booed (link)
mrmoshpotato
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
Bwhahahhaa “Not a Russian asset. Not a Russian asset. You’re the Russian asset.”
smike
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
My wife and I switched between the series and football and never heard the baseball announcers reference the “presidential” visit once. I was wondering if he had even shown up.
Anne Laurie
@smike: Trump showed up late (didn’t want to hear the cheers for Chef Andres throwing out the first pitch) and left early (after he got booed).
Video clips to follow, in the Monday Morning Open Thread…
NotMax
@Anne Laurie
As if this hasn’t been discussed, hashed and rehashed enough.
hells littlest angel
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.): Russian intelligence takes care of their own. It helps when recruiting.
JWR
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
Great lede, too:
Was thinking earlier that he probably saw all those hats and figured it must be another of his hate rallies.
smike
@Anne Laurie:
I hope he is butt hurted really bad.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
@smike: he looks like he’s about to cry in this photo (link)
NotMax
Even Rasmussen can’t manage to whitewash the numbers.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Kochd
@smike: He’s got no class.
When Obama went to a game he always granted an interview and dazzled the crowd with his electric charisma.
(photo 1)
(photo 2)
(photo 3)
opiejeanne
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: It looked like pain to me. Good.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
LOL!
They hung a “IMPEACH TRUMP!” banner at the game (photo)
?BillinGlendaleCA
@opiejeanne: Probably his bone spur acting up.
NotMax
@BillinGlendaleCA
Or somebody was hogging the ketchup.
;)
JWR
Oh, heavens me! The way you all mock our Dear President!
;)
Patricia Kayden
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: I love the Veterans for Impeachment sign. Awesome.
eldorado
i considered trying to visit her while she was being held in a facility that was nearby but decided that was too risky for what amounted to **** and giggles
Ocotillo
Maybe she can start working on opening an NRA office in Russia…….oh, wait.
zhena gogolia
Glad to see Kevin Rothrock FPed!
TomatoQueen
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Kochd: Those are lovely. I miss my President.