Maria Butina is the 'spy' the Trump administration asked for: Talker

Suspected Russian agent Maria Butina, sometimes spelled Mariia, is being held in custody, facing charges of acting as an unregistered agent in the U.S. and infiltrating American political organizations, at the direction of the Kremlin.

America has an 'open for business' sign

The news of the arrest of Russian national Maria Butina for attempting to infiltrate and influence our political system sent shock waves through Washington. But we should not be too surprised, as the precarious nature of ethics in American politics all but invites bad actors.

Butina stands accused of working to "advance the interests of her home country" by ingratiating herself with the National Rifle Association and Republican insiders. She asked the president a question about Russian sanctions at a public event, met with his son at an NRA function, and is suspected of working with another Russian being investigated for illegally funneling money to the NRA.

The Supreme Court has created an electoral system where major donors can anonymously spend huge amounts of money to elect their favored candidates. The NRA alone spent more than $10 million to elect President Donald Trump — but we don’t really know where that money came from.

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We also don’t know what kind of influence the Russians or other foreign nationals are having on our president. Trump rejected ethical norms, which had stood for decades, by refusing to release his tax returns as a candidate or president, or divest from his business once elected. Trump has chosen to keep us from knowing whether Russian operatives are funneling money directly into his bank accounts.

Trump also ended the Obama administration’s policy of releasing of full White House visitor logs. As a result, we no longer know who the president meets with in the Oval Office, and we certainly don’t know who he meets with at his private businesses, which he has visited more than 130 days since taking in office. His administration is fighting in court to keep these records secret.

Due to Trump’s astonishing reversals regarding government transparency, we’ve arrived at an ethical morass that must look like a neon "Open for Business" sign to those who want to influence our government. And if things don’t change, we should expect to see more cases like this one.

Jordan Libowitz is the communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).

What our readers are saying

Even after this revelation, the Russian-loving Republicans still approve that organizations like the National Rifle Association don't have to disclose where money donated to them comes from? Go figure. We've moved beyond "party over country," now it's "Russia over country."

— Ian Lake

Where is this Maria Butina case going to lead? It sounds to me like Russia is trying to influence so-called conservatism in this country.

— Ron Patrick

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So trying to get politicians to drop sanctions, which are really hurting your people (not that they aren't warranted) is being a spy? The left does this every day with immigration.

— Anthony Alfero

This all sounds a bit shady to me. A federal magistrate makes the decision with no grand jury to view the evidence against Butina? Our justice system is out of control. I'm not dismissing her as a spy, but the timing of all of this simply stinks.

— David Clodfelder

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What others are saying

Dana Milbank,  The Washington Post: "(Maria) Butina isn’t part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s portfolio (regular Justice Department prosecutors are handling the case), and her alleged activities, trying to gain access to American leaders through the National Rifle Association, Conservative Political Action Conference and National Prayer Breakfast, were relatively anodyne. But unlike the Russians indicted by Mueller for hacking the Democratic National Committee and for running a troll farm, Butina is in U.S. custody. Here is possible Russian political meddling — in the flesh."

Katherine Stewart,  The New York Times: "After the election, Butina informed someone the complaint called 'U.S. person number one' that she would be bringing along some 'VERY influential' Russians to the breakfast. After the event — which President Trump attended, just as previous presidents have — Butina emailed one of its organizers to thank him for 'the gift' of his 'precious time during the National Prayer Breakfast week — and for the very private meeting that followed. A new relationship between two countries always begins better when it begins in faith.' It also should not be surprising that at least some in the breakfast crowd were positively disposed to the Russian visitors. The bond between America’s Christian nationalists and the Russian government goes back a long way."

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