Russian Charged with Being Foreign Agent

“A Russian woman who tried to broker a pair of secret meetings between candidate Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin during the 2016 presidential campaign, was charged Monday and accused of carrying out a secret Russian effort to influence American politics,” the New York Times reports.

“The Justice Department said in court documents that the woman, Mariia Butina, worked to establish ‘back channel’ lines of communication with American politicians… Ms. Butina twice tried to set up a meetings between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin in 2016. The charges announced Monday do not name Mr. Trump but they make clear that Ms. Butina’s overtures were part of a Russian intelligence operation.”

The Washington Post notes that Butina is accused of developing relationships with American politicians and a “gun rights organization.”