Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina pleads guilty to engaging in conspiracy against US

[Chomsky]

Washington (CNN)Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday for conspiracy to act as an illegal foreign agent in the United States.

Butina, 30, was accused of working to infiltrate Republican political circles through groups such as the National Rifle Association to bolster Russian interests.

Butina said she acted "under direction of" a Russian official whom CNN has identified as Alexander Torshin, the recently retired deputy governor of the Central Bank of Russia.

"Butina sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over US politics," the prosecutor said in a Washington courtroom.

Source: (CNN) Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina pleads guilty to engaging in conspiracy against US

Good.

As the breadth & depth of Putin's influence into the Presidency, Administration, Congress, and our political parties & their support groups, has become more widely known, I'm finding I'm becoming alarmed. And I don't say this flippantly.

While I'm cognizant of the dangers of an independent or special counsel, I'm getting blown away by all that Mueller and his crew are uncovering. I never imagined anything like we're seeing, and I'm thoroughly disgusted by it.

I'm disgusted enough, that I find myself dreamily wishing he, or a similar designated position, could stay-on to permanently rid our government of things like we currently see. I fear the danger of such a position, but I very much like the results I'm seeing.

 

[DaveFagan]

"As the breadth & depth of Putin's influence into the Presidency, Administration, Congress, and our political parties & their support groups, has become more widely known, I'm finding I'm becoming alarmed. And I don't say this flippantly."

To address this issue as selective prosecution is necessary. To wit:

"As the breadth & depth of Russia's, Saudi Arabia's and Israel's influence into the Presidency, Administration, Congress, and our political parties & their support groups, has become more widely known, I'm finding I'm becoming alarmed. And I don't say this flippantly."

The issue must be addressed without prejudice and I suggest you do exactly what your avatar dictates "THINK!"
I think Maria Butina is admitting to exactly what other Nations do everyday without threat of selective Judicial prosecution. I do admit to being pro Putin/Russia and think we would be served well if we had one candidate for Presidentiial Office with Putin's track record of performance. He leads a Nation that was circling the sewer back to a World Power.
/
/

 

[biglawnmower]

Source: (CNN) Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina pleads guilty to engaging in conspiracy against US

Good.

As the breadth & depth of Putin's influence into the Presidency, Administration, Congress, and our political parties & their support groups, has become more widely known, I'm finding I'm becoming alarmed. And I don't say this flippantly.

While I'm cognizant of the dangers of an independent or special counsel, I'm getting blown away by all that Mueller and his crew are uncovering. I never imagined anything like we're seeing, and I'm thoroughly disgusted by it.

I'm disgusted enough, that I find myself dreamily wishing he, or a similar designated position, could stay-on to permanently rid our government of things like we currently see. I fear the danger of such a position, but I very much like the results I'm seeing.

another alt left hillary troll gets convicted. nice

 

[azgreg]

"As the breadth & depth of Putin's influence into the Presidency, Administration, Congress, and our political parties & their support groups, has become more widely known, I'm finding I'm becoming alarmed. And I don't say this flippantly."

To address this issue as selective prosecution is necessary. To wit:

"As the breadth & depth of Russia's, Saudi Arabia's and Israel's influence into the Presidency, Administration, Congress, and our political parties & their support groups, has become more widely known, I'm finding I'm becoming alarmed. And I don't say this flippantly."

The issue must be addressed without prejudice and I suggest you do exactly what your avatar dictates "THINK!"
I think Maria Butina is admitting to exactly what other Nations do everyday without threat of selective Judicial prosecution. I do admit to being pro Putin/Russia and think we would be served well if we had one candidate for Presidentiial Office with Putin's track record of performance. He leads a Nation that was circling the sewer back to a World Power.
/
/

The Middle East will be part 2 of the Mueller investigation.

 

[Xelor]

Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina pleads guilty to engaging in conspiracy against US

Why is anyone now calling that woman an "alleged" Russian spy?
-- The woman pled guilty to conspiring against the US.
-- The woman is a Russian.
The woman did what spies do and she is a Russian. What the hell else does one need to know to call her "a Russian spy," not "an alleged Russian spy?" Nothing.

 

[Captain America]

"As the breadth & depth of Putin's influence into the Presidency, Administration, Congress, and our political parties & their support groups, has become more widely known, I'm finding I'm becoming alarmed. And I don't say this flippantly."

To address this issue as selective prosecution is necessary. To wit:

"As the breadth & depth of Russia's, Saudi Arabia's and Israel's influence into the Presidency, Administration, Congress, and our political parties & their support groups, has become more widely known, I'm finding I'm becoming alarmed. And I don't say this flippantly."

The issue must be addressed without prejudice and I suggest you do exactly what your avatar dictates "THINK!"
I think Maria Butina is admitting to exactly what other Nations do everyday without threat of selective Judicial prosecution. I do admit to being pro Putin/Russia and think we would be served well if we had one candidate for Presidentiial Office with Putin's track record of performance. He leads a Nation that was circling the sewer back to a World Power.
/
/

Finally. A conservative with the ballsack to admit he's a commie.

Honesty, coming from the conservative side, is a rare treat these days.

Kudos to you Dave. I might detest your politics but admire your glimpse of honesty.

And you're right. It's nothing other nations, who are suppose to be our friends, don't do to us everyday.

Selective, perhaps. But it's a start.

 

[Disraeli]

Finally. A conservative with the ballsack to admit he's a commie.

Honesty, coming from the conservative side, is a rare treat these days.

Kudos to you Dave. I might detest your politics but admire your glimpse of honesty.

And you're right. It's nothing other nations, who are suppose to be our friends, don't do to us everyday.

Selective, perhaps. But it's a start.

After growing up in the 60s & 70s it is so surreal to have the left calling the right commies! I guess "the parting on the left is now the parting on the right."

 

[DaveFagan]

Finally. A conservative with the ballsack to admit he's a commie.

Honesty, coming from the conservative side, is a rare treat these days.

Kudos to you Dave. I might detest your politics but admire your glimpse of honesty.

And you're right. It's nothing other nations, who are suppose to be our friends, don't do to us everyday.

Selective, perhaps. But it's a start.

Well Cap'n, if you'll point out where I stated I am a commie, I'll kiss your ass.

What brand of BS are you selling? The Russians seem to have a democracy where the one with the most votes win. Same in Syria. Lots of places. In the US, it is sometimes 5-4 SCOTUS or an electoral college majority. If you had suggested that I might have Socialist leanings, although nothing in the post inferred that, I might not have reacted but the choice of the word "commie" goes back to Joe McCarthy and phony purges of that era. By the way, my Uncle Amos says he heard from the authoritative Justin O. Peewillie that your Mother was/is a commie. Good enough for me, ol' Justin just like McCarthy and can smell them commies, don't ya' know?
/

 

[Captain America]

Well Cap'n, if you'll point out where I stated I am a commie, I'll kiss your ass.

What brand of BS are you selling? The Russians seem to have a democracy where the one with the most votes win. Same in Syria. Lots of places. In the US, it is sometimes 5-4 SCOTUS or an electoral college majority. If you had suggested that I might have Socialist leanings, although nothing in the post inferred that, I might not have reacted but the choice of the word "commie" goes back to Joe McCarthy and phony purges of that era. By the way, my Uncle Amos says he heard from the authoritative Justin O. Peewillie that your Mother was/is a commie. Good enough for me, ol' Justin just like McCarthy and can smell them commies, don't ya' know?
/

I do admit to being pro Putin/Russia and think we would be served well if we had one candidate for Presidentiial Office with Putin's track record of performance. He leads a Nation that was circling the sewer back to a World Power.

Sounds commie to me. I could be wrong. But you can still kiss my ass if ya wanna. :kissass

 

[Captain America]

After growing up in the 60s & 70s it is so surreal to have the left calling the right commies! I guess "the parting on the left is now the parting on the right."

I can be a lefty. I can be a righty. Depends on the issue.

I'm ambidextrous,

Cool name dude.

View attachment 67245995

 

[Disraeli]

I can be a lefty. I can be a righty. Depends on the issue.

I'm ambidextrous,

Cool name dude.

View attachment 67245995

Thankee, thankee

 

[Chomsky]

The Middle East will be part 2 of the Mueller investigation.

I think I agree. Interesting times for Jared, and (by marital extension) perhaps even Ivanka.

 

[Chomsky]

Why is anyone now calling that woman an "alleged" Russian spy?
-- The woman pled guilty to conspiring against the US.
-- The woman is a Russian.
The woman did what spies do and she is a Russian. What the hell else does one need to know to call her "a Russian spy," not "an alleged Russian spy?" Nothing.

I thought that was odd too, when I posted this thread. I believe it might be because it hasn't been unequivocally (publicly) shown she was a state actor. But that's just a guess, on my part.

 

[azgreg]

I think I agree. Interesting times for Jared, and (by marital extension) perhaps even Ivanka.

It's the Daily Beast so take it for what it's worth. I haven't seen this anywhere else.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/get-r...dle-east-connection?ref=home&via=twitter_page

Over the past year, the indictments, convictions, and guilty pleas have largely been connected, in one way or another, to Russia. But now, special counsel Robert Mueller’s office is preparing to reveal to the public a different side of his investigation. In court filings that are set to drop in early 2019, prosecutors will begin to unveil Middle Eastern countries’ attempts to influence American politics, three sources familiar with this side of the probe told The Daily Beast.

In other words, the “Russia investigation” is set to go global.

 

[Chomsky]

After growing up in the 60s & 70s it is so surreal to have the left calling the right commies! I guess "the parting on the left is now the parting on the right."

Great comment! :thumbs:

And how did progressives go from the Berkeley Free Speech Movement in '65, to Politically Correct Safe Spaces today? Where's Mario Savio, when we need him ...

 

[Chomsky]

It's the Daily Beast so take it for what it's worth. I haven't seen this anywhere else.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/get-r...dle-east-connection?ref=home&via=twitter_page

Oh, I've been following Kushner's UAE, Qatar, and Saudi escapades. I fully expect ME investigations.

And just as shady, was the Trump's sending arms to the Ukraine in exchange (seemingly) for Ukraine's non-cooperation with Mueller.

 

[Xelor]

I thought that was odd too, when I posted this thread. I believe it might be because it hasn't been unequivocally (publicly) shown she was a state actor. But that's just a guess, on my part.

Perhaps....Prior to her guilty plea, I too would have called her an alleged Russian spy, but not after her having done so. By my reckoning, describing her now as an alleged Russian spy is emblematic of the kind of "political correctness" (PC) that pervades our culture. What genre of PC is that? It's the genre that over generously accords folks/groups more benefit of the doubt than they have earned.

I mean, really....It's one thing when one hasn't declared oneself "thus and such." I and others can only legitimately append this and that label to them by way of having presented a sound/cogent case for that appellation's verisimility. It's wholly another when one has declared oneself "thus and such." If one says "I am XYZ," where XYZ isn't a good thing to be, why should others reject one's declaration? They shouldn't.

 

[Atomic Kid]

Source: (CNN) Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina pleads guilty to engaging in conspiracy against US

Good.

As the breadth & depth of Putin's influence into the Presidency, Administration, Congress, and our political parties & their support groups, has become more widely known, I'm finding I'm becoming alarmed. And I don't say this flippantly.

While I'm cognizant of the dangers of an independent or special counsel, I'm getting blown away by all that Mueller and his crew are uncovering. I never imagined anything like we're seeing, and I'm thoroughly disgusted by it.

I'm disgusted enough, that I find myself dreamily wishing he, or a similar designated position, could stay-on to permanently rid our government of things like we currently see. I fear the danger of such a position, but I very much like the results I'm seeing.

One thing I found to be quite interesting from Maria Butina's plea agreement was passage from the statement of the offense section.


"In furtherance of the conspiracy, Butina drafted a proposal in March of 2015 titled Description of the Diplomacy Project. In it, Butina downplayed the possibility of influencing U.S. foreign policy toward Russia through official channels, criticizing government unwillingness to compromise.

As an alternative, Butina suggested that Russia could use unofficial channels of communication to the same end. Butina then cast herself as a possible unofficial transmitter of
communications between Russia and the United States. Further, Butina opined that the circumstances were favorable for building relations with a certain U.S. political party (hereafter,
"Political Party #1") Butina predicted that the candidate nominated by Political Party #1 would likely win the upcoming U.S. presidential election."

Obviously "Political Party #1" is the GOP. But it would be interesting to know how Butina and her cohorts, both American and Russian, arrived at that prediction in "2015".

 

[Chomsky]

One thing I found to be quite interesting from Maria Butina's plea agreement was passage from the statement of the offense section.


"In furtherance of the conspiracy, Butina drafted a proposal in March of 2015 titled Description of the Diplomacy Project. In it, Butina downplayed the possibility of influencing U.S. foreign policy toward Russia through official channels, criticizing government unwillingness to compromise.

As an alternative, Butina suggested that Russia could use unofficial channels of communication to the same end. Butina then cast herself as a possible unofficial transmitter of
communications between Russia and the United States. Further, Butina opined that the circumstances were favorable for building relations with a certain U.S. political party (hereafter,
"Political Party #1") Butina predicted that the candidate nominated by Political Party #1 would likely win the upcoming U.S. presidential election."

Obviously "Political Party #1" is the GOP. But it would be interesting to know how Butina and her cohorts, both American and Russian, arrived at that prediction in "2015".

My gut feeling here, is she may have been promoting herself. But it sure is eerie ...