| Notes |
What was Maria Butina’s plan to influence American politics?
The Justice Department claims that around March 24, 2015 — as the US presidential campaign was beginning to kick off — Butina emailed Erickson a proposal for a project called “Diplomacy,” apparently looking for his feedback.
The email itself had the subject line “The Second Pozner.” An FBI agent’s affidavit suggests that refers to “Vladimir Pozner, a propagandist who served in the disinformation department of the Soviet KGB and who often appeared on Western television.”
The project proposal makes several assertions:
Republicans will likely win control of the US government in the 2016 elections.
The GOP is “traditionally associated with negative and aggressive foreign policy” toward Russia. But now could be a good time to improve relations.
The NRA has a “central place and influence” in the Republican Party since it helps fund political candidates and sponsors events.
Butina and Torshin already have ties to the NRA’s leadership, and she’s visited the US.
Therefore, Butina requests a $125,000 budget so she can participate in “all upcoming major conferences” related to the Republican Party before the 2016 elections. |