who is maria butina's lawyer

by Ms. Elmira Crist Sr. Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago 9 min read

What is Maria Butina accused of?

Butina, who entered a not guilty plea Wednesday, did not speak in court. She was ordered jailed pending her trial. So who is representing Butina? Meet Robert N. …

What is Maria Butina famous for?

Jul 20, 2018 · Attorney Robert Driscoll is known for his work handling political situations. Law.com delivers news, insights and resources that allow legal professionals to anticipate opportunities, adapt to ...

Is Maria Butina a Russian spy?

Jul 26, 2019 · An attorney for Maria Butina -- the accused Russian agent who was sentenced to 18 months in prison earlier this year -- is alleging “possible misconduct on …

What is'free Maria Butina'campaign?

Oct 25, 2019 · Her lawyer, Robert Driscoll, described her as an "ambitious young woman" not a political agent. But under her plea deal, Maria Butina admitted to the charge of conspiracy.

What did Butina's father call the accusations against her?

Butina's father has called the accusations against her "a witch-hunt". Leonid Slutsky, head of the lower house of the Russian parliament 's foreign affairs committee, called Butina's case a "modern political inquisition.". Russia's Foreign Ministry accused the United States of forcing false confession from Butina.

How long was Maria Butina in prison?

18 months in prison. Maria Valeryevna Butina ( Russian: Мария Валерьевна Бутина, sometimes transliterated as Mariya Butina; born November 10, 1988) is a Russian political activist and former entrepreneur who was convicted in 2018 of acting as an unregistered foreign agent of Russia within the United States.

What did Butina say to Keene?

As Keene's guest, Butina rang the NRA's Liberty Bell, saying, "To the right to bear arms for citizens of the whole world.". Butina and Torshin also attended the 2015 NRA annual convention.

What did Butina Torshin do?

As part of her work as a foreign agent, Butina worked to infiltrate the National Rifle Association on behalf of Russia. Torshin and Butina established a cooperative relationship between the NRA and Right to Bear Arms. Torshin has attended NRA annual meetings in the United States since at least 2011.

Why was Butina arrested?

July 15: Butina is arrested in Washington, D.C., on charges of being an unregistered foreign agent of the Russian Federation working to infiltrate politically influential organizations in the U.S. and influence U.S. officials.

When did Butina Torshin resign from Right to Bear Arms?

April 25–27: Butina and Torshin attend the NRA annual conference in Indianapolis. Butina attends several meetings as a guest of Keene. Late 2014: Butina resigns from her position as the head of "Right to Bear Arms".

When did Tom Torshin attend the NRA?

Torshin has attended NRA annual meetings in the United States since at least 2011. Following the 2011 meeting, then NRA President David Keene expressed his support for Torshin's "endeavors" and extended an invitation to the 2012 meeting. Torshin also attended NRA annual meetings in 2012 and 2013.

How long was Butina in jail?

In April, Butina was sentenced to 18 months in prison by a federal judge in Washington after pleading guilty last year to a conspiracy charge. . She will be removed from the U.S. promptly on completion of her time, the judge added, and returned to Russia.

Did Driscoll believe Maria Byrne was a non standard arrangement?

But Driscoll said he now believes that’s false. “Mr. Byrne has now contacted me and has confirmed that he, indeed, had a 'non-standard arrangement' with the FBI for many years, and that beginning in 2015 through Maria’s arrest, he communicated and assisted government agents with their investigation of Maria.”

What was Maria Butina's reputation?

Maria Butina developed a reputation in Russia for her love of guns - but it was her involvement with the National Rifle Association (NRA) that led to her getting in trouble with US authorities.

Who is Maria Butina's father?

Butina's father Valery has called the charges against her "psychopathic and a witch-hunt". Her lawyer, Robert Driscoll, described her as an "ambitious young woman" not a political agent. But under her plea deal, Maria Butina admitted to the charge of conspiracy.

Why did Butina travel to the US?

Butina began travelling to the US for NRA conventions, apparently armed with a plan called The Diplomacy Project, aimed at setting up unofficial channels aimed at influencing US policy.

Why was Butina given an 18 month sentence?

Butina was given an 18-month sentence for her role in the endeavour and expressed regret at her involvement at trial.

When was Butina released from custody?

Having been given credit for time served, the 30-year-old was released from custody slightly early on 25 October 2019. She was expected to be deported immediately to Moscow.

Where is Butina being deported?

She was expected to be deported immediately to Moscow. Butina's arrest, in July 2018, was originally revealed within hours of President Donald Trump's heavily- criticised Helsinki summit with President Vladimir Putin. Russia has maintained the charges against her are "fabricated" and that she is being pursued for "politically motivated" reasons. ...

Did Butina harm the American people?

Despite prosecutors' claims that she damaged US national security, Butina insisted that she had no intention of harming the American people. "I destroyed my own life," she told the court. "I came to the United States not under any orders, but with hope, and now nothing remains but penitence.".

Who is Maria Butina?

A new court filing alleges Maria Butina, a Russian gun-rights activist, offered "sex in exchange for a position within a special interest organization" to gain access in U.S. political circles.

What did Maria Butina offer in exchange for sex?

In a new court filing, the lawyer for accused Russia n agent Maria Butina claims that the government overstated its claim that Butina offered “sex in exchange for a position within a special interest organization” as part of a bid to gain access and make contacts in American political circles.

Is Maria Butina guilty of all charges?

She has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Maria Butina appears in a police booking photograph released by the Alexandria Sheriff's Office in Alexandria, Va., Aug. 18, 2018.

Is Maria Butina a covert agent?

Maria Butina is pictured at the 2015 FreedomFest conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 11, 2015. Driscoll says that because Butina did not act covert ly there is no reason to suspect that she was a covert agent.

How long does it take to fly from Tallin to Riga?

Her first-time experience was from Tallin, Capital of Estonia to Riga, Capital of Latvia. It approximately takes 50 minutes duration to fly from Tallin to Riga on an airplane.

Who is Maria Butin?

The founder of All-Russian Public Organization had a gun in her holster and had linked to the National Rifle Association. She wore a custom puffy vest over a striped shirt and jeans gripping her black Russian-Viking pistol. The self-described Russian gun rights activist said that she hoped to have an unforgettable night and there would be adrenaline.

Overview

Timeline

• Butina founds the "Right to Bear Arms [ru]" organization.
• April 29 – May 1: Nashville lawyer G. Kline Preston IV introduces Russian Senator Aleksandr Torshin to National Rifle Association (NRA) president David Keene at the NRA annual meeting in Pittsburgh. A witness claims financial support for Torshin by the NRA was discussed.

Early life and education

Butina was born on November 10, 1988, in the Siberian city of Barnaul, in Altai Krai, about 210 miles (340 km) east of the present Kazakhstan–Russia border. Her mother was the chief engineer of an energy enterprise and her father Valery Viktorovich Butin was an entrepreneur who established a furniture manufacturing business in Barnaul. She has one sister and one maternal niece, Kira.
She graduated with honors at the age of 17 from Gymnasium Number 22 with in-depth study of t…

Business and political career

Butina, at age 21, launched a furniture retail business in Altai Krai. In 2011, she moved to Moscow and sold six of her seven furniture stores to start an advertising agency. That same year, she participated in the Youth Primaries organized by the Young Guard of United Russia, the youth wing of the United Russia party, which she has described as "the current ruling political party in Moscow."

Involvement in U.S. politics

As part of her work as a foreign agent, Butina worked to infiltrate the National Rifle Association on behalf of Russia.
Torshin and Butina established a cooperative relationship between the NRA and Right to Bear Arms. Torshin has attended NRA annual meetings in the United States since at least 2011. Following the 2011 meeting, then NRA President Da…

Relationships with Trump associates

Butina was in a relationship with Overstock.com CEO and Trump conspiracy theorist Patrick M. Byrne. Byrne claimed the FBI encouraged him to pursue Butina, a claim retired FBI officials denied. In 2019, Byrne divested himself of all shares of Overstock after his relationship with Butina was revealed.
For five years, prosecutors claimed, Butina lived with and maintained an intimate relationship wit…

United States of America v. Mariia Butina, aka Maria Butina

On July 15, 2018, Butina was arrested in Washington, and charged with acting in the United States as an agent of a foreign government; specifically the Russian Federation, without prior notification to the Attorney General, a conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, to wit, 18 U.S.C. §951 (foreign relations, agents of foreign governments), in violation of 18 U.S.C. §371 (conspiracy).

Life after prison

In 2021, she visited Alexei Navalny, who was on hunger strike, in prison, stating that the conditions in the prison are better than in hotels in the Altai Territory, and Alexei himself is eating candy, not starving. In October 2021, she became a member of the State Duma representing Kirov Oblast for the United Russia party.
She expressed support for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, sharing a video on social medi…