during the course of the investigation the fbi determined maria butina gained access through u.s. person 1 to an extensive network of u.s. persons in positions to influence political activities in the united states. butina, age 29 and u.s. person 1, age 56, are believed to have cohabitated and been involved in a personal relationship during the course of butina's activities in the united states. but this relationship does not represent a strong tie to the united states because maria butina appears to treat it as simply a necessary aspect of her activities. for example on at least one occasion butina offered an individual other than u.s. person 1 sex in exchange for a position within a special interest organization. further in paper seized by the fbi butina complained about living with person 1 and expressed disdain for continuing to cohabitate with u.s. person 1. that was the prosecution last week. they're saying, listen, she's a spy, she's only involved with this guy because it's part of her cover as a spy. today, butina's defense lawyer went off on that. he and his client are abs

let's get to what you know about maria butina. absolutely extraordinary.ou wrote about her in your book "russian roulette" released earlier this year. i'm curious why she got onto your radar as early as 2016. >> well, look, i during the 2016 campaign began hearing about maria butina and the contacts she was making with nra members and other conservative activists. struck a number of people as odd, it was described to me. she kept showing up at these events. then she had this connection to her boss aleksandr torshin, extreme interest to me, deputy governor of the russian central bank who had been a close ally of vladimir putin when he was a lawmaker. most significantly was under investigation by the spanish national police for his connections to an organized crime money laundering gang in spain. actually the spanish national police had wiretaps of torshin talking to one of the gang leaders in which he's referred to as el pad rino, the got father, they had plans to arrest him this. struck me as a potentially significant set of relationships. on the one hand

this is the prosecution laying out their case why maria butina needs to be in jail, why she might flee, why she has to be kept in custody, can't be released on her own recognizance. in this court filing you see the headline. number 5, butina's "tie" to the united states is a duplicitous relationship. during the course of this investigation the fbi has determined that butina gained access through the u.s. person 1 to an extensive network of u.s. persons in the united states. butina, age 29 and the person age 56 are believed to have cohabittated and been involved in a personal relationship during the kowrcourse of the activities in the united states but does not represent a strong tie to the united states because butina appears to treat it as part of being in the united states. for example on at least one occasion, butina offered an individual other than u.s. person 1 and complained about living with u.s. person one and expressed disdain for having to cohabit with u.s. person one. ouch ouch ouch. if you're u.s. person one, that probably hurt your feelings legal reference, she only has ti

the case of the accused russian operative maria butina. according to reuters, butina has far more extensive contact with washington officials than previously known, including meetings back in 2015 with obama treasury department officials and at the federal reserve. robert driscoll, maria butina's laywer, joins us now to tell us what else the media may be missing here in the story. i know that you met with your client today. how is she? >> i did. he's in protective custody in d.c. jail. overall, the baseline fact that she's in jail, she's doing pretty well. >> laura: how did she find you to represent her? >> i had a previous client through a friend of a friend recommended me when she got a letter from congress. >> laura: she told congress last year that she received some funding from a russian oligarch. >> she said that in april. >> laura: okay. why was he funding her? >> she founded a gun rights group in russia. she grew up in siberia. she moved from moscow. she founded a gun rights group. it's different in russia than it is here. you don'

united states of america versus maria butina. the prosecutors. the deputy says this is an initial appearance and arrest warrant and this case is currently sealed. the judge says good afternoon. he says good afternoon, your honor. the judge says mr. kennerson, the court was informed before the case, before the court took the bench, that the united states intended to move to unseal this matter. i will hear from you now. and the prosecutor says yes, your honor, the government does move to unseal this case including the complaint and related documents. the judge says thank you very much. that motion will be granted. so at that moment the case is unsealed. that's the first moment that we got any publicly facing information that this had happened. now, the courtroom deputy says please stand and raise your right hand. she does it. whereupon she was duly sworn. now, good afternoon. will you please state your full name for the record. she says, maria butina. the court says thank you. you may be seated. and he says, before we begin, may i address you to in

we expect maria butina. on charges that she operated as a secret russian agent in this country, working on behalf of the russian government to affect the conservative movement and the republican party in the 2016 election. just tonight the judge in the case filed memorandum about why butina should stay in jail and not get bail while she awaits charges. as is the case in many court filings, the footnotes here turned out to be the best part including this footnote here on the bottom of page 6. this is an issue we pulled out of a transcript from her last court hearing. this is about u.s. person one, right? the unnamed person who is described in the maria butina transcript. u.s. person one not named in the documents in conjunction with the case but he's been widely reported to be a republican named paul ericson. who is described as her boyfriend or her fake boyfriend just for spying purposes, depending on whether you ask the defense or the prosecution. we still haven't seen any changes against mr. erickson, and

maria butina was here. they executed search warrants on her residence in april according to a statement by her lawyer and an arrest warrant was issued for her. we don't know why. she was arrested yesterday and on sunday her lawyer said without notice to counsel. she is being held without bond. court filings indicate a notification has been made to the russian consulate that the u.s. is holding their citizen. she is expected to appear in court on wednesday in federal court in washington, d.c. what that means is in all likelihood in this case, there is going to be a case. there is going to be a trial that is unlike the internet research indictments from february and unlike the military intelligence indicted on friday. we have names and distributions and serious crimes alleged, but they won't end up in an american courtroom. in this case, they have got her. we will see her in court on wednesday and see the fight over the charges unfold in public and in a way we can observe. of course this all follows the incre

maria butina put less into her mission than i put into my first marriage. >> trevor: aren't you stilln your first mary ellen? >> i don't know. that's not the point. the point is these russian spice aren't even trying anymore. >> trevor: i don't know if i agree, michael. it looked very much like she was trying to me. >> why, because she dressed up like a russian knock off of the matrix? i mean, what kind of spy poses in a magazine as a spy? she used her real accent, her real face, at least slap on a wig or a beard. >> trevor: i think a beard might make her stand out more. >> she even used her real name. you don't see james bond going around telling everybody his name. >> trevor: actually, that's his trademark. >> i know because he's a fictitiousle character. the point is russian spy used to respect us enough to try, hidden codes in lemon use, hidden messages in flower pots. poison hidden. now she's on twitter, off to my next spy msh #kremlin, undercover, blessed -- ( laughter ) >> trevor: i didn't know you were so passionate about spy craft. >> well, i'm a bit of an expert. see, my bro

how large of a brick in the wall is maria butina?ssians seem to think she's a tremendous as eight. it is interesting that the russian foreign minister raised her in the conversation with secretary mike pompeo. if she were just a russian citizen, you wouldn't see the russians going to such great lengths and i think the russians are making the department of justice's case that she was acting as an agent of russian government by raising her case so prominently and such an important channel as phone call with secretary mike pompeo himself. >> and not to mention what russia yaps are doing on social media. >>> home-field advantage. vladimir putin seems to have the leverage in helsinki but could the president have the power if the visit is here in the u.s. making cars lighter, it's a good place to start, advanced oils for those hard-working parts. fuels that go further so drivers pump less. improving efficiency is what we do best. energy lives here. gathered here are the world's finest insurance experts. rodney -- mastermind of discounts li

paula reid has our report. >> reporter: federal prosecutors accuse maria butina a russian agent who allegedlyffered sex in exchange for a job where she could influence u.s. policy. butina has been charged with failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiring to act as a foreign agent for that power. the 29-year-old entered on a student visa in 2016, but had visited the u.s. several times over the past few years. she took steps to develop american politicians. photos document her with republican congressman scott walker and nra chief wayne lapierre. she was also actively involved in the national prayer breakfast and tried unsuccessfully to arrange a meeting between president trump and vladimir putin. as she tried to make more contact with leaders, she landed on the fbi's radar. investigators allege she had an ongoing relationship with a 56-year-old republican operative strictly for business purposes and was likely in contact with russia's fsb intelligence agency throughout her stay in the u.s. a russian foreign ministry spokeswoman suggested that butina's arrest is part of an effort to un

sara murray is "outfront." >> reporter: alleged russian spy maria butina naming constantine nikolai ase testimony earlier this year. a source tells cnn butina launched a gun rights group in moscow. >> the most important and the basicer for any freedom is of course gun rights. >> reporter: and used it to build ties with one of our key avenues into u.s. politics, the national rifle association. she and associates even tried unsuccessfully to arrange back channel communications between candidate donald trump and russian president vladimir putin. nikolai's office said 2014 was their last contact. the funding was to support their efforts in russia to raise awareness around certain domestic issues according to a statement from his office. retired cia chief of russia operations steven hall says vladimir putin often taps local billionaires to back his influence operations. >> we still have crontrol. >> all of these people can say look, we're not members of the russian intelligence service. we're not members of the russian government. and to the western ear, that sounds right. but in truth that

maria butina is as a secret agent from moscow she was wor fig hussi and to blestaish lines ebonal with.th william lapierre, t f said butina took senps tonfce political groups likehe nra intn operation. she believe sts part of hflnce attded in 2016 and g2017. acco to the affidavit, she and the rsian officials she was working with often communicated threw direct message on twitter. th was the message one month before the016 el >>.econ madeime o obet.ur game. i the peopleinne to this titherore me statement ctssang not ats oe ran federation, thend overblow she was trying to establish friendly relationships. her attorneysaid,quote, there is simply to indication of butina seeking to influence or undermine any specific policy or w or the united states. only at most, to promote a better relationship between the two nations. no comment yet from the lindsay tts, fox 5 local wane i. >>> presint ts white hacouse to rapping up his summit with e vladimir putin. two men taked pte helsinki finland brieforelyva aids joine for lunch. it's the president's comments during a news conference after the summi

in the case against maria butina, accused of being a secret federal agent working for torshin on this russian influence operation in the u.s., one of the things we learned in the charging documents is how she spent election night for 2016. according to online conversations the fbi says it obtained, just a couple of hours after the election was called for trump, maria and torshin discussed online who trump was going to nominate as secretary of state. a couple days later, according to the fbi, butina sent torshin a message who she predicted might be the secretary of state and she asked torshin

up next, a lawyer for maria butina reveals what you have not heard. when i found out i had age-related macular degeneration, amd, i wanted to fight back. my doctor and i came up with a plan. it includes preservision. only preservision areds 2 has the exact nutrient formula recommended by the national eye institute to help reduce the risk of progression of moderate to advanced amd. that's why i fight. because it's my vision. preservision. also, in a great-tasting chewable. >> laura: a stunning twist in the case of the accused russian operative maria butina. according to reuters, butina has more extensive contacts with washington officials than previously known, including meeting in 2015 with the obama treasury department officials and at the federal reserve. robert driscoll joins us now to tell us what else the media may be missing here in the stor. i know that you met with your client today. how is she? >> she is in protective custody and a d.c. jail. overall, the baseline fact that she's in jail, she's doing pretty well. >> laura: how did she find yo

we now know on the recommendation of maria butina's boyfriend. she didn't last long. she left in the back wash after mike flynn was fired and then criminally charged in conjunction with the mueller investigation related to his contacts with the russian government. so this opened a whole new thing now. remember how the flynn disaster unfolded, right? just a few days after the trump inauguration. not even a week into the new inauguration. flynn was enter sbrud contacts we had the russian government. two days after that fbi interview, the acting attorney general of the united states, sally yates, called the white house counsel's office and expressed with some urgency that there was a matter some national security concern. she needed to discuss in person with the white house counsel. she went in person to the white house. she met with the white house down and she delivered serious concerns about mike flynn related to his contacts with the russian government and most urgently, the jarell's belief that he, while serving in that incredibly sensitive job with access to the hi

release maria butina. and we're learning she may have had the financial support of a russian billionaire. here's stephanie ramos. >> reporter: tonight, the russian foreign minister calling the arrest of maria butina unacceptable. she's the 29-year-old russian gun rights activist accused of being a kremlin agent. in a phone call with secretary of state mike pompeo, sergey lavrov complaining about the actions of u.s. law enforcement, saying the charges against butina are fabricated. but u.s. prosecutors accuse her of going to extreme measures to infiltrate the american political system, even offering sex in exchange for a position in one special interest organization. butina, according to sources, getting her direction from one of vladimir putin's allies, alexander torshin. the two seen here at the national prayer breakfast. prosecutors believe she was trying to advance the interests of the russia federation. even getting close enough to then-candidate donald trump to ask this question. >> do you want to con

the russian embassy started a free maria butina social media campaign.now this isn't necessarily specific to her case but i don't understand how these things work. will they be able to get her out of jail? what's the impact of the russian government having a role in assisting in her case? >> you want to take that? >> i can start. it's standard to be have consular notification under the vienna convention. that's normal. it doesn't mean they have an outsized role or getting her out of jail. she will have separate representation as her criminal defense attorney but the russian government is notified as a matter, of course, like any government would be notified when had one of their nationals was arrested here in the united states. >> they'll have access to her to advise her and to advise her counsel but no technical role in the legal proceed sflgs. >> they're not a party. the party is maria butina on one hand as the defendant and the united states on the other. the prosecutor. the united states in this case moved for her detention. counsel russian governmen

a judgeed r today that 29-year-old maria butina will remain in p custodyding trial. a covert russian agent. the formeni americanrsity student seen here graduating in may is accused of acting as an unregistered agent in the u.s. butina's lawyer says she did nothing illegalulr unla >>> today the aclu of d.c. filed a lawsuit against a d.c. police officer for a questionable stop and frisk. police stopped to question m.b. cottingham. video shows an officer touching cottingham repeatedl front and rear of his crotch area. >>> now at 5:30,t will be a hard road, those are the words of a father mourning the loss of his young daughter. >> this was one of two young women who died over the weekend in a crash along fairfax county parkway. you can s the brake marks on the side of the road. david culver talks with the victims'arents. >> reporter: cards fro his daughterreow precious keepsakes for tony washington. >> happyirthday to my best friend. >> reporter: at 21, tony says his daughter worked hard, t jobs, including at this home depot. tonight her smock framed and signed with mes

in the case against maria butina, accused of being a secret federal agent working for torshin on this russian influence operation in the u.s., one of the things we learned in the charging documents is how she spent election night for 2016. according to online conversations the fbi says it obtained, just a couple of hours after the election was called for trump, maria and torshin discussed online who trump was going to nominate as secretary of state. a couple days later, according to the fbi, butina sent torshin a message who she predicted might be the secretary of state and she asked torshin to find out how our people felt about that potential nomination. here's why is that should jump out at you and why we should consider why federal prosecutors might have put that you conversation in particular in this public charging document. >> march, jane maier at the new yorker published a profile of christopher steele who's memos it became the infamous steele dossier. one little bombshell was that in addition to the dossier of christopher steele's memos that buzzfeed published last january, th

when we come back, the curious case of a woman named maria butina. a russian spy and could she be the key to a connection she be the key to a connection between thit was here. i couldn't catch my breath. it was the last song of the night. it felt like my heart was skipping beats. they said i had afib. what's afib? i knew that meant i was at a greater risk of stroke. i needed answers. my doctor and i chose xarelto® to help keep me protected from a stroke. once-daily xarelto®, a latest-generation blood thinner significantly lowers the risk of stroke in people with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. warfarin interferes with at least 6 of your body's natural blood-clotting factors. xarelto® is selective, targeting just one critical factor. for afib patients well managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® compares in reducing the risk of stroke. don't stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor, as this may increase your risk of stroke. while taking, you may bruise more easily, or take longer for bleeding to stop. xar

how many other maria butinas are out there. rchlts the success of this apparently years-long. >> she wasn't a good spy because she got caught. >> i think it reflects the success of this years-long effort by the kremlin to curry influence with american gun enthusiasts and conservative republicans which apparently worked. there are pictures of her with david clark, the former milwaukee sheriff, with rick santorum, with wayne la pierre, so it's stunning. >> the boyfriend, the south dakota boyfriend, paul erickson, i believe is the name, the question is was he duped or was he in on it? he did her homework for the grad school. that seems to be the open question? >> yeah, absolutely the open question. i mean obviously he hasn't been charged with anything, not accused of any wrongdoing. but when you look at the evidence that the government has started to submit in court, there are e-mails and the like in which it certainly seems like he had some knowledge that she was working with the russian government and was trying to build ties be

suspected spy maria butina is jailed.are casting american christians as pawns of the russians. mike huckabee has a lot to stay up say about that. the governor will talk about it next. ♪ (harmonica interrupts) ...by just calling or going online to geico.com. (harmonica interrupts) (sighs and chuckles) sorry, are you gonna... (harmonica interrupts) everytime. geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. i'm ray and i quit smoking with chantix. i tried cold turkey, i tried the patch. they didn't work for me. i didn't think anything was going to work for me until i tried chantix. chantix, along with support, helps you quit smoking. chantix reduced my urge to smoke. i needed that to quit. when you try to quit smoking, with or without chantix, you may have nicotine withdrawal symptoms. some people had changes in behavior or thinking, aggression, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, or suicidal thoughts or actions with chantix. serious side effects may include seizures, new or worse heart or blood vessel probl

this is not the last time we're going to hear about maria butina.nk robert mueller is really interested in what she has to say. >> jeremy bash? >> yeah, look, like matt said, this is like now season 7 of "the americans." this harkens back to the 2010 arrest of about a dozen russian illegals run by the russian intelligence services. they were living under deep cover for many years in the united states. one of the interesting notes from today's court filings was the trade craft she employed, including it appears engaging in cohabitation, if we can keep it to pg-13, with a 56-year-old -- >> we're on cable, jeremy. >> this is the reminder to a 50-year-old male, when a 20-something russian finds you extraordinarily attractive, something is amiss. >> that's the homeland story line too. >> we've seen that trade craft. just take out your bingo card for one more moment, because i want to connect a couple of dots. first of all, the russian illegals in 2010 were sent back to russia. anna chapman. one of the officials who got free was skripal, who the russians

nevertheless, after recommendations in part from maria butina's fake boyfriend, k.t. mcfarland was will bed to a very high level job in the trump white house. deputy security adviser, essentially runs the national security process in the white house. it is the operations office who runs the whole national security council and runs intelligence through the national security process. it is hundreds of people. it is the kind of job where you work 30 hours a day. k.t. mcfarland always seemed like an odd fit for that job. nevertheless, they gave her that job. we now know in part on recommendation of maria bu tin that's boyfriend. >> she did not last long in that job. she left in the back wash after mike flynn was fired and then criminally charged in conjunction with the mueller investigation related to his contacts with the russian government. so this opened a whole new thing now. remember how the flynn disaster unfolded, right? just a few days after the trump inauguration. not even a week into the new administration, flynn was interviewed by the fbi at the white house abo

operations allegedly under the direction of alexander torshin, one of putin's closest allies. >> maria butina. >> reporter: the fbi claims butina's time as a graduate student at american university was nothing but a cover to infiltrate and manipulate. >> so, pierre with us live from washington. we're told butina is due back in court tomorrow. has she responded to the charges?>>epte she's denyi any wrong doing, and her attorney saying she's only here to improve relations between the u.s. and russia. >> there's still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this tuesday. amazon prime in its final hours now. and the deals from the competitors. how to save big. >>> and more on the explosion at an american gas plant. >>> the manhunt for an alleged killer. the suspect wanted for three murders in a matter of days. >>> and the deadly midair plane collision. two planes colliding. investigators on the scene. a lot more news tonight. tonight. y pill for psoriatic arthritis. taken with methotrexate or similar medicines, it can reduce joint pain, swelling, and significantly improve physical function. xelja

. >> the maria butina indictment that was just mentioned, she was charged this week with being a russian agent as well. is that penny ante? >> people say that is. here you have somebody acting as an agent of a foreign power trying to infiltrate the nra making contacts with u.s. persons, trying to establish a secret back channel. again, we tried to look into allegations that the russians may have been funneling money through the nra, but the gop found that too hot to handle. these are serious matters, and i think there is no ignoring the fact that for whatever reason this president acts like he is compromised. there is simply no other way to explain why he would side with this kremlin, former kgb officer, rather than his own intelligence agencies, why he would continually attack nato, and again. some of those allegations and that much-disparaged dossier untes which would be whicbe eshat unfortunatnt >> tom bossert, final word for you. how should the president follow up on the summit this week? >> well, the place i disagree with the congressman is that the president acts. no, he speaks in

that's maria butina and she's going to appear at a hearing tomorrow in washington.pressed concern that she is a flight risk. sara murray is out front with more on who maria butina is and how close she got to the trump campaign. >> reporter: maria butina, a charming russian red head passionately touted her plight to expand russian gun rights. she espoused it at gun rights and social media and posed for risque magazine spread. her motives, the government says, were advancing russian interests by infiltrating u.s. political organizations and networking with other politically influential individuals. u.s. officials say her efforts were years in the making. putin used her moscow gun group right to bear arms to build inroads with leaders of an american gun rights group which cnn has identified as the national rifle association. smart and aggressive according to those who knew her, butina landed invitation s to exclusive events at nra conventions and prayer breakfasts in d.c. at the 2015 n.r.a. convention she got a chance to meet gop presidential candidate scott walker. la

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maria butina. the justice department said she tried to influence american politics and infiltrate pro gun rights organizations. her attorney says she is not a russian agent. >>> special counsel robert mueller is seeking immunity for five potential witnesses in paul manafort's upcoming trial. manafort, president trump's former campaign manager, is charged with bank and campaign fraud. his trial is expected to start next week. also last week the u.s. judge refused the request to move the trial. potential jurors in alexandria they say, were politically biased against him. >>> mgm resorts says they're not responsible for the mass shooting last year in las vegas and they're suing hundreds of victims to avoid liability. the mgm lawsuits are against victims who are sued, have dismissed their suit, or are threatening to sue. mgm cites a post-9/11 law. >>> federal investigate errs are looking into a deadly midair collision ore the florida everglades. two small planes from a miight school coided yey ateast t

maria butina will await trial in jail with no bond. entered a plea of not guilty and it was a fight between the government, as well as her lawyers, over whether she was actually a flight risk. argument the government was making is she's essentially a russian spy operating here in the u.s., and that if she was allowed out of that courtroom, she could get in a diplomatic vehicle, seek refuge at the russian embassy and nothing u.s. laws could do to keep her in the country and ensure she showed up in court. her attorney has said she's already faced a number of inquiries from a number of government agencies. they say they are apartment was raided in apartment, and she still stuck around. he was unsuccessfully trying to make the case she is not a government spy and should have been released on her own recognizance. but that did not appear convincing to the judge who has decided maria butina is going to await trial in a jail cell. >> sarah, thank you. >>> to ohio now, a long-time ohio republican party official calling it quit over president t

when we come back, the curious case of a woman named maria butina. was she a russian spy and could she be the key to a connection between the russians infiltrating the nra? your mornings were made for better things than psoriatic arthritis. as you and your rheumatologist consider treatments, ask if xeljanz xr is right for you. xeljanz xr is a once-daily pill for psoriatic arthritis. taken with methotrexate or similar medicines, it can reduce joint pain, swelling, and significantly improve physical function. xeljanz xr can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma, and other cancers have happened. don't start xeljanz xr if you have an infection. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts, and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz xr, and monitor certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you were in a region where fungal infections are common, and if you have had tb, hepati

also, spy games, a day in court for maria butina. she's accused of a spy and a russian agent. what we learn from her and how her love for russia raise red flag while a student at a american university. >> plus, a game changing discovery made on mars, scientists have found water, a lot of water. what it means for life on the red planet. we'll get all that later. we start with the silence, the trump/cohen tape. reporters found two republican senators with no comment on capitol hill. and nbc news asked the first lady about the date, they did not mention in their response and prefer to talk about children and bullying. >> the president's legal team tells nbc news that the tape captures nothing critical. more tapes may follow. cnn first aired the tape last night. it is from the september before the election. karen mcdougal's allegation affair with donald trump. >> msnbc obtained the tape of michael cohen's lawyer. we can't confirm if there is any editing or altering of the original. a few words before we air this tape by the way. first, there is profanity and second, there is no tr

prosecutors charged maria butina with being a russian spy last week it opened up a new rift between the two countries. >> that's right. the russians and butina say she's just a pro-gun lobbyist who met with high-ranking politicians and gun groups for her job. prosecutors say she's something more sinister. our matthew chance takes a look at just how maria butina is. >> reporter: she shot directly to the heart of american conservatism. combining a passion for guns with an irresistible charm rarely associated with the u.s. gun lobby. >> i'm a representative of russian federation here, and i am a chairman of the right to bear arms. it's a russian non-profit organization. >> reporter: in fact, prosecutors say she was a russian agent accessing conservative groups like the national rifle association, the nra, to influence u.s. policy. it certainly got her privileged access to leading u.s. republicans like john bolton, now u.s. national security adviser but back in 2013 an nra official who agreed to appear in a pro gun video used by butina's russian lobbying group. >> should the russian people

matthew, what are we learning about maria butina?ter: well, first of all, this case of maria butina has become yet another thorn in the side of the very difficult relationship between moscow and washington. what i think is most fascinating about this saga is what it tells us about the lengths to which russia has, apparently, gone to try to infiltrate america political organizations. using every weapon in their arsenal. she appealed directly to the heart of american conservatism. combining a passion for guns with a youthful charm. >> i'm a representative of russian federation here, and i'm a chairman of the rights to bear arms. it's a russian nonprofit organization. >> reporter: unlike profile, butina was born in siberia, a year before the fall of the berlin wall. and spent her childhood navigating the rocky transition from communism to capitalism. she apparently launched a chain of small furniture stores in her home town before moving to moscow where it says her interests in expanding the rights of average russian citizens caught the

. >>> but first, the attorney for the accused russian spy, maria butina, says this morning she will be vindicated just moments before she's set to go before a judge for the first time. what we can expect from the hearing today. alright, i brought in new max protein ...to give you the protein you need with less of the sugar you don't. i'll take that. [cheers] 30 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar. new ensure max protein. in two great flavors. can something so easy, and so beautifaffordable...erings. also be this much fun? ohhhhh, yeaaaaah. get smart shades, by budget blinds and lutron. the #1 provider of custom window coverings. and the top name in smart home technology. call now for your free smart home consultation. get a free smart lighting control bundle with your smart shade purchase! >>> the president this morning is blasting his former personal attorney and fixer, michael cohen, following the release of that secretly recorded audiotape. let's talk about the politics of all of this. our political commentatorcommen. nice to have you all here. hello, good morning. let's remind our

i'm a representative of the russian federation here. >> reporter: federal prosecutors accused maria butinaa russian agent, who allegedly offered sex in exchange for a job where she could influence u.s. policy. butina has been charged with failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiring to act as or agent of that foreign power. the 29-year-old entered the u.s. on a student visa in 2016, but had visited several times over the past few years. according to court documents, butina allegedly "took steps to develop relationships with american politicians in order to advance the interests of the russian federation." photos document her with republican wisconsin governor scott walker and n.r.a. chief ieyne lapierre. she was also actively involved in the national prayer breakfast, and tried unsuccessfully to arrange a meeting between president trump .nd vladimir putin. as she began making more contacts with conservative leaders, she landed on the f.b.i.'s radar. investigators allege she had an ongoing relationship with a 56- year-old republican operative strictly for business purposes, and was

. >> martha: coming up, maria butina, she's 29 years old and she's an american university grad. our former kgb agent is back tonight with a look at how many marias the russians may have here in the united states. and remember this? >> we need to rebuild our system from top to bottom, starting by replacing ice. >> martha: so what happened when republicans tried to call their bluff on abolishing ice? ♪ boost optimum with 5 in 1 advanced nutrition helps support muscle, energy, bone, normal immune function, and vision. boost optimum. be up for life. no mathere are over 10,000 allstate agents riding sweep. call one today. are you in good hands? and now is the best time to buy. preparing classic campfire trout. say what? trout. trout. all right. you don't think i need both? why does he have that axe? make summer go right with ford america's best selling brand. now get 0% financing for 72 months plus $1,000 ford credit bonus cash on a great selection of suv's. during the ford summer sales event, get our best offer of the season 0% financing for 72 months plus $1,000 ford credit bonus ca

for now, maria butina remains behind bars.red a flight risk given that agents found she had terminated her lease and packed her bags. randi kaye, cnn, new york. >> it's a fascinating story. before we go, quick reminder. don't miss our daily newscast on facebook. you get to pick the stories we cover. it's called full circle, week nights at 6:25 p.m. eastern. go to facebook.com/anderson cooper full circle, all one world. i'll see you tomorrow at 6:25, also again at 360 at 8:00 p.m. right here on cnn. the news continues. i'm going to hand it over to chris and "cuomo prime time." chris? >>> thank you, brother cooper. i am chris cuomo. welcome to "prime time." so what do you do when your biggest adversary attacks your election? president trump is inviting him home for the holidays. yes, trump says a second sit-down is coming and soon. it sounds like a movie, like a drama that plays like a comedy until it is revealed to be a horror flick. welcome to washington, comrade vlad. let's get some perspective. tom donilon has met with putin

. >>> new tonight, free maria butina.n that's been launched by russia's foreign ministry for the alleged kremlin spy after her arrest in washington. russian diplomats have also visited her in the detention center where she's being held until trial. a federal judge agreed she is a flight risk so she has to stay in custody. randi kaye tonight tracks her path which, as you know, once crossed with the trump campaign. >> i'm visiting from russia. my question will be about foreign politics. >> reporter: that's how close this accused russian spy got to then candidate donald trump this july 2015. at freedom fest in las vegas. her name is maria butina. >> i believe i would get along very nicely with putin, okay? >> reporter: that same woman now charged with conspiracy and acting as an agent of the russian government. the 29-year-old graduate student from american university is accused of using sex and deception to cozy up to high-level politicians and steer them toward moscow's objectives. prosecutors say she had a personal relati

so maria butina's lawyer can confer with those russian consular officials. >> shimone, why is this onein this overarching story and how has the russian foreign ministry -- they've weighed in as well, yes? >> yes, they did weigh in, basically questioning the timing of this arrest, saying it was is done to undercut the meeting between the summit, between the president be -- the two presidents, the russian president and president trump. that's not true according to the u.s. government. they say they moved in to arrest her because she was going to leave washington, d.c. and it is probably highly likely that the fbi would never have arrested her on sunday if she would have stayed in washington, d.c. in these kinds of situations, these kinds of investigations, the fbi spends years monitoring these kinds of people. >> shimone, hang tight. sarah sanders at the wrohite house. >> president trump is committed to our veterans and his work to reform the va and to ensure veterans are gin the care and support they deserve. the president looks forward to meeting with the more than 4,00. yesterday the

court papers paint maria butina as an illegal agent of rsh who was patient and directed by a russian na even allegedly offered sex for position within a special interest organization here in the u.s. >> she's not an agent of the russian government. the russian federation. she's innocent of the charges brought against her. >> reporter: she posed with a pistol for a spread in "gq" magazine and buttoned up for political events, seen here with republican presidential candidate scott walker and sitting just feet away from former national adviser michael flynn. the man who mentored her, kremlin linked banker torshin sanctioned by the u.s. messaged here on twitter one month after the breakfast saying you have upstaged anna chapman. >> because the freedom is important. >> reporter: butina close to donald trump. at the freedom fest event in las vegas and nounsed to viz fritd russia and then asked then recently declared candidate trump this. >> if you would be elected as a president what would be the foreign politic especially in the relationships with my country? >> i believe i would get along

a grand jury indicted maria butina today.efore a judge wednesday. >> bret: we will follow the case. jennifer griffin at the pentagon, thank you. at the dow gained 55 and a half today. the s&p 500 finished ahead 11. the nasdaq gained 49. amazon is under fire tonight over its facial recognition program. some police departments are using it or testing it and that has civil libertarians outraged. correspondent dan springer tells us why. >> one police officers in washington county oregon need to identify a criminal from a surveillance camera image, they now turn to recognition software from amazon that in seconds can make a match among the 300,000 booking photos. it's how they caught travis, who was convicted of, among other things, stealing nearly $1,000 worth of tools from a store. the technology also worked to identify the suspect from a police sketch. it was not fooled by another criminal who shaved his beard. >> we want to be on the forefront of fighting crime and keeping our communities safe. we recognize that criminals will

russia now demanding the release of maria butina, the young woman accused of being an agent of the kremlin

prosecutors say accused russian agent maria butina tried to cozy up to american officials in an attempt to infiltrate the u.s. political system with the help of a kremlin-linked mentor and her american boyfriend. >> this is the thing to bring this home for people and make them understand exactly what the russian government's trying to do. >> in the red. the white house predicts u.s. deficits will top $1 trillion starting next year. why? one reason. the tax cuts. not quite how those tax cuts were sold to us, was it? >> not only will this tax plan pay for itself but it will pay down debt. >> well, sir, that appears to foot be true. we begin today with president trump and his administration lost in a sea of claims and corrections. we're now in day four of the president trying to make it clear just who and what he believes when it comes to the russian cyber threat. i have a great team here this morning to help break all of it down. first, i want to make sure you understand what exactly is going on. because president trump has been wading through more than one self-made controversies this we

if you wrote about maria butina in your book. surprised to hear that she had been arrested? >> not really. maria bettina is how it's pronounced. >> martha: thank you. >> she has been on my radar screen and a number of others for quite some time. during the 2016 campaign she kept showing up at various events. she was photographed with governor walker at an nra event shortly after he announced. and also, and we do write about this in russian roulette, just a few weeks after donald trump declared his candidacy for president, she showed up at an event he was speaking at in las vegas. trump called on her during a q&a session she asked about -- >> martha: we have that. we can show that, let's play that. >> sure. >> do you want to continue the politics of sanctions that are damaging of both economies? >> i believe i would get along very nicely with putin, okay? and i mean where we have the strength. i don't think you would need the sanctions. i think that we would get along very, very well. >> martha: she was clearly doing her job. she