who is maria butina's attorney

by Maverick O'Connell III 9 min read

Russian gun rights activist Maria Butina's defense attorney Robert Driscoll spoke to reporters after she was sentenced to an 18-month prison term on April 26. (Reuters)

Full Answer

Who is Maria Butina and why was she arrested?

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 does Maria Butina stand for?

Jul 26, 2018 · Butina has pleaded not guilty to charges of acting as a foreign agent and conspiracy, but government prosecutors focused on Robert Driscoll, Butina’s defense attorney, on Wednesday, accusing him ...

Did Maria Butina work for the Russian government?

Jul 26, 2019 · In a letter to the Justice Department obtained by Fox News, Butina’s attorney, Robert Driscoll, revealed Butina’s past relationship with Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne. Driscoll claims he told the...

What is'free Maria Butina'campaign?

Jul 21, 2018 · Sitting in an orange jumpsuit in a Washington courtroom this week, Maria Butina was either an agent of the Russian government, as federal prosecutors allege, or a just an international graduate ...

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National

Maria Butina, photographed in 2013 at a pro-gun rally in Moscow, is charged with conspiring to act as a Russian agent.

The Russia Investigations: How Many More Maria Butinas Are There?

He characterized that relationship as two friends who have exchanged "thousands of messages, pictures of dogs and questions about picking up American toothpaste."

National Security

In court this week, Driscoll said Butina's case was not connected to the indictments of 12 Russian intelligence officers earlier this month, the Lawfare blog reported.

Where is Maria Butina from?

Maria Butina was born in Barnaul, Altai Krai , Russia, in Siberia, in 1988, according to her social media profiles and a bio on her gun rights group’s website. Her mother worked as an engineer and her father was an entrepreneur.

What was Butina accused of?

According to the indictment, Butina was accused of lying in her student visa application by claiming she had stopped working for Torshin, NPR reports.

Where was Butina arrested?

Butina, 29, was arrested Sunday and made her initial appearance Monday in federal court in Washington, D.C., according to a press release from the Department of Justice. Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson ordered Butina held until a hearing on July 18, according to the press release.

What did Butina ask Trump?

Butina asked Trump a question, telling him she was from Russia and asking what he would do as president about the “damaging” U.S. sanctions. You can watch video of that moment above. Trump suggested he would get rid of them, according to Mother Jones.

How long is Butina in jail?

Butina faces up to 5 years in prison if convicted of the conspiracy charge and up to 10 years in prison if convicted of acting as a foreign agent. According to the Justice Department’s press release, “The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

Family Life: Engineer Mother, Entrepreneur Father

Maria describes family is a real treasure on her social media account. In her family, she has an engineer mother and entrepreneur father who built their parental home in the suburbs of Barnaul, western banks of the Ob River in the Altai Krai region of Siberia, Russia.

How Does Maria Butina Gather Net Worth?

Maria Butina has assembled her net worth as a political activist since 2006. According to simplyhired.com, a 'political activist' salary ranges between $35,881 to $136,880 and have average payrolls as $70,082. During her one year stint in Eco Standart, LLC, she gathered revenues as Public Relations Manager.

Short Bio

Maria Butina was born as Mariia Butina on 10 November 1988 in Barnaul, Altai Krai, Russia.

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Overview

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).

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…

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.

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…