Serious question about Maria Butina and her plea.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

She's not a US citizen and would likely be a candidate for deportation.

If she's actually cooperating with US law enforcement in her plea, I cannot see her returning to Russia without a high risk of drinking a batch of polonium tea or an unfortunate mishap with a fourth floor window.

What exactly is her endgame here? Asylum? A request that she be deported to some place other than Russia?

Russia would not take kindly to her spilling the beans. We all know that.

[Merlot]

1. My guess is that she will only spill beans on topics that

hurt Americans and cause political discord. She'll have all kinds of into on her "boyfriend" and the NRA, less about who she reported to.

kremlin would be more upset if it found out she had turned and they didn't know about it. What she's doing now is probably in their playbook.

If it takes down the NRA, I'm ok with that.

[Sanity Claws]

3. Would the prosecutors allow her to limit her testimony like that?

I have my doubts that they would.
She may try to do it on her own but then she will be accused of not being forthright.

[rogue emissary]

14. +1

[Sanity Claws]

2. Witness protection program?

Even with asylum, she would be a target.

[meow2u3]

9. You beat me to it

She'd have to go into hiding--and take accent reduction classes--to prevent the russkie spies from kidnapping her to Russia, just so she'd end up dead by some sort of "accident."

[getagrip_already]

4. I asked this in another thread....

t doesn't make sense. She won't cross putin. That would be an instant death sentance. She isn't even afraid to go into general population (she was in isolation and requested geeral).

So whatever she is doing has the tacit approval of the kremlin. Which by the very meaning makes it corrupt evidence.

I have no idea what's going on here. But it isn't what it seems.......

[Claritie Pixie]

5. She's cooperating because they have evidence.

I expect she will plead guilty, spill, and request asylum.

[atreides1]

6. To be honest

Her only safe bet is that she gets placed in witness protection, because no matter what country she's deported to, the Russians will find her!

[peggysue2]

7. The psychological effects of . . .

solitary confinement might be playing a role in all this. She was recently thrown back into isolation, presumably for her safety. Might also restrict her ability to communicate with outside sources. Whatever. But she has spent most of her time in solitary since July. If the plea deal is requisite on fingering her American contacts? Why not? The Russians have been screaming for her release. Maybe they finally gave the nod for her compliance.

But I agree--her future beyond any release is murky at best. Too many Russian diplomats/officials have met curious deaths. So, the NRA's favorite Russian girlfriend will need to be very, very careful.

[thbobby]

8. Most know that NRA contributed Russia Money to trump and gop.

But what can be legally proven, I am in the dark. I don't know what Maria Butina can or is willing to testify to. I don't know what Mueller knows. But I am sure the NRA and gop conspired to gain political power. I also suspect that gop criminal liability will be one of the last dominoes to fall as it has the potential to expose the gop as the traitors they are.

[lamsmy]

10. A plea deal does not have to include cooperation

Last edited Mon Dec 10, 2018, 03:40 PM - Edit history (1)

If she pleads straight guilty without cooperation then she faces the maximum sentence under the guidelines - no more than a few years in this case. This avoids a trial where the prosecution would have to lay out a full case against her and name names of any co-conspirators.

It is believed her instructions from Moscow were to take this route. In a year or two expect to see the Russians offer a spy swap to bring her home - this is probably what she was promised and why she agreed to plead guilty.

[Johnny2X2X]

11. Russia doesn't care

In fact, Russia wants the world to know they fixed the election. It raises their gangster profile.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

12. I agree Russia doesn't care if people know.

I mean, you have Konstantin Rykov bragging his guts out on Facebook right after the election--no, actually during the election--that they were messing with things.

However, that's a different issue than Maria spilling the beans on her cohorts to get out of jail.

[Sanity Claws]

15. I agree that they are two different issues

Russia may want to brag that they influenced US politics but Putin still won't be happy that someone was stupid enough (in his mind) to get caught.
He will get rid of her as an example that one shouldn't be stupid.

[More_Cowbell]

13. Yeah, this

By now, Russia knows that Trump can't do what it wanted (reverse the sanctions, although he HAS refused to impose what Congress wanted) and it's just going to sow as much discord as possible. There are Democrats involved with Butina, too, I bet.

I'm fairly sure that Putin has approved her making a deal.