The wife of David Keene, a former president of the National Rifle Association (NRA), tapped accused Russian agent Maria Butina to secure a jet fuel deal with Russia, according to hundreds of emails obtained by The New York Times.
Donna Keene, a Washington lobbyist, asked Butina and her boyfriend at the time, GOP operative Paul Erickson, to secure five million barrels of jet fuel in exchange for $1 million, the Times reported.
Keene reportedly connected Butina and Erickson with prospective buyers, including Israeli-American salesman Yoni Wiss.
“I knew they didn’t have any clue, because there’s no port in the world that could hold the amount of oil they were saying they could sell,” Wiss told the Times.
Butina’s lawyer is claiming the emails are proof that she was acting out of self-interest during her time in the U.S., rather than on behalf of the Russian government as prosecutors have claimed. Robert Driscoll, her lawyer, said they are “just further evidence that she wasn’t here on any mission on behalf of the Russian Federation. She was essentially operating on her own account.”
Federal prosecutors are accusing Butina of attempting to infiltrate organizations with close ties to the GOP, such as the National Rifle Association (NRA), in order to operate a secret influence campaign on behalf of the Russian government.
The emails reveal Erickson aided Butina in writing emails to Keene, according to the Times. Butina reportedly presented herself as a middle-man between Russian businessmen and her contacts in the U.S., writing in one email, “I keep the details of all sides.”
The deal ultimately fell through because Erickson and Butina could not secure the amount of fuel Keene was looking for, according to the newspaper.
…..
- Discussion
-
Wife of ex-NRA head asked accused Russian spy for help securing million dollar jet fuel deal: report https://t.co/WLs513e6E5 pic.twitter.com/1V06lC8bUC
— The Hill (@thehill) September 3, 2018
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.