Maria Butina to plead guilty to conspiracy, accused Russian agent flips to help investigations

This spells doom for Trump and the NRA. Paul Erickson, hope the sex was fantastic.
Maria Butina, 30, was either a perky gun nut with a fetish for sex-starved GOP losers, or a secret agent in Russia's covert influence operation to influence the 2016 United States elections.
We had a pretty good idea. But now we know. And she's flipping.
Today Maria Butina's lawyers said she agrees to plead guilty to conspiracy and cooperate with federal, state and local authorities in any ongoing investigations.
'The agreement, which Butina signed on Saturday, Dec. 8, also notes that the conspiracy charge carries... up to five years in prison, but the deal could see Butina receive a lesser sentence, depending on the level of her cooperation, before likely being deported back to Russia.'
Previous reporting links her to the NRA.
The already broke NRA is now in extremely deep shit.
Butina is reported to have admitted, as part of the deal copy obtained by ABC News that is expected to be filed to the court, that....

She and an unnamed “U.S. Person 1,” which sources have identified as longtime Republican operative Paul Erickson, with whom she had a multiyear romantic relationship, “agreed and conspired, with a Russian government official (“Russian Official”) and at least one other person, for Butina to act in the United States under the direction of Russian Official without prior notification to the Attorney General.”
Based on the description, the “Russian Official” appears to be Alexander Torshin, deputy governor of the Russian Central Bank and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Under his direction, the agreement said, she “sought to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over U.S. politics.”
The agreement, which Butina signed on Saturday, Dec. 8, also notes that the conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, but the deal could see Butina receive a lesser sentence, depending on the level of her cooperation, before likely being deported back to Russia.
It is unclear what Butina’s cooperation might entail, but federal prosecutors have reportedly notified Erickson that he is a target of an ongoing investigation. The target letter sent to Erickson is from federal prosecutors in Washington, sources familiar with the case told ABC News, and separate from any South Dakota-based federal fraud investigation into his business dealings that has been the subject of earlier media reports.
Read the rest of the reporting at ABC News.
Anyone seen “Sheriff” David Clarke lately?
Also, from back in July, “We now know 'U.S. Person 2' is George O’Neill Jr, an heir to the Rockefeller fortune.” Outgoing California congressman Dana 'I love Russia' Rohrabacher was also implicated, and it's possible any of her forthcoming cooperation could impact them both. Watch both of their names as Butina's case unfolds. They are in big trouble.
Maria Butina, presumed Russian agent, and Paul Erickson, GOP political operative, pictured in an undated personal photo first published by ABC News.

What a thing to jot down https://t.co/PEBNymXLfw pic.twitter.com/z01NUw2MRK
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) December 11, 2018

Conspiracy.
Not failing to register as a foreign agent, conspiracy.
And a cooperation agreement?
Oh my. https://t.co/sAHtBihbRJ
— Ed Bott (@edbott) December 10, 2018

After the meeting, Butina sent the Russian Official a message, which was translated as saying “We should let them express their gratitude now, we will put pressure on them quietly later.”https://t.co/yCBg6OmIc7
— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) December 10, 2018

ABC got a copy of the Maria Butina plea agreement, which says she and an unnamed “person 1” (likely Erickson) conspired with a Russian government official —and at least one other person—for Butina to act” as a Russian agent. https://t.co/UOiCpkHZPO
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) December 10, 2018

"To have a Presidential candidate in the back pocket of Putin when we had such bad relations with him"
"This is an all hands on deck emergency" - Former Prosecutor @JonFlan pic.twitter.com/OKclsDcINO
— TheBeat w/Ari Melber (@TheBeatWithAri) December 10, 2018

Maria Butina, Accused Of Being Russian Agent, Reaches Plea Deal With Feds - New Details Here https://t.co/j7XJuWAwHc
— Carrie Johnson (@johnson_carrie) December 10, 2018

Speaking of Maria Butina... I'll never forget the time [NAME REDACTED] reached out to me and said, "Noah, I've found the real Trump-Russia connection."
The result was this story:https://t.co/LIppQ1vh2O
— Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) December 10, 2018

THREAD: Here’s a nugget about televangelist Pat Robertson that didn’t make it into our into our deep dive about alleged Russian spy Maria Butina, NRA leader David Keene, Jack Abramoff & GOP operative Paul Erickson https://t.co/BE3pKkbfjw
— Anna Massoglia (@annalecta) December 10, 2018

FARA records that revealed David Keene, Jack Abramoff & Paul Erickson lobbying together had a note about “Pat Robertson freelancing,” claiming “we have no knowledge of “what he may do next.”
So why was a televangelist advocating for a dictator accused of human rights violations? pic.twitter.com/QmaQEZQk9f
— Anna Massoglia (@annalecta) December 10, 2018

Well, Pat Robertson's Operation Blessing planes were transporting diamond-mining equipment for the African Development Corporation, a Robertson-owned venture initiated with the cooperation of Mobutu Sese Seko—the Congolese dictator who paid for lobbying to seek entry into the US
— Anna Massoglia (@annalecta) December 10, 2018

Virginia's consumer affairs office found that Pat Robertson “willfully induced contributions from the public through the use of misleading statements” secretly using funds for cargo planes to aid refugees from Rwanda to transport diamond-mining equipment for his business venture.
— Anna Massoglia (@annalecta) December 10, 2018