Transcript for Accused Russian agent pleads guilty
To the expected guilty plea now from that Russian woman we have reported on here before, MARIA butina. She’d been accused of being a secret agent of the Russian government. It’s believed she’s now flipped, agreeing to plead guilty to conspiracy and to cooperate with U.S. Prosecutors in any investigation. Here’s ABC’s Kyra Phillips tonight. Reporter: She’s accused of being a glamorous and manipulative secret agent, sent here by Russia. But tonight, MARIA butina has agreed to cooperate with the justice department. In a draft agreement, obtained by ABC news, the Russian gun rights activist pleads guilty to conspiracy, admitting she “Sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over U.S. Politics for the benefit of the Russian Federation.” Prosecutors say she did it with the help of an American, Republican operative Paul Eriksson, with whom she had a romantic relationship. They’ve even recorded this video together. ??? Tale as old as time ??? Reporter: Butina says Erickson helped her cozy up to conservative leaders and top NRA officials. She acknowledges that in 2015, she told a Russian official she had “Laid the groundwork for an unofficial channel of communication with the next U.S. Administration.” She’d met prominent Republicans politicians — Wisconsin governor Scott walker, Donald Trump Jr. She even got a chance to ask his father a question about Russia. Do you want to continue the politics of sanctions? I know Putin, and I’ll tell you what, we get along with Putin. I don’t think you’d need the sanctions. Reporter: At the time, candidate trump was actually working on a secret deal to build a trump tower in Moscow. And Kyra Phillips joins us from Washington tonight. Kyra, Vladimir Putin was asked if he knows how MARIA butina is, and the other question tonight, where does she go after this plea deal? Reporter: Well, David, she will likely have no choice and will ultimately be deported, and Vladimir Putin saying today that MARIA butina has never been on his radar, nor any of his key intelligence advisers. Russia has pushed hard to bring her home. Kyra Phillips, thank you. A California judge has
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