Prosecutors have recanted some allegations and already dropped one charge against her as part of a plea deal.
At the outset, prosecutors alleged the covert Russian agent was so intent on infiltrating Republican political groups and organizations like the National Rifle Association that she was even willing to offer sex to do so. Her relationship with longtime boyfriend Paul Erickson was merely a"necessary aspect of her activities," the Justice Department initially claimed. Her pursuit of a master's degree at American University was just a cover, prosecutors once said.
He pleaded not guilty to the federal charges. Prosecutors have not brought charges against George O'Neill Jr., either. Butina worked with O'Neill, a Rockefeller heir and conservative writer, to arrange "friendship" dinners between Americans and Russians. He also bankrolled some of Butina's expenses while she was in the US, including her tuition, according to a person familiar with the arrangement.
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