Russian agent Maria Butina sentenced to 18 months in prison

boing
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Never would have guessed.

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What she did wouldn’t even be illegal in most countries. “Conspiracy Against the United States” is a “catch all” charge like “Enemy of the State”.

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Well, that’s nice, but it won’t bring back the Rosenbergs.

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Importantly, it is illegal in the US. It’s not a catch-all, it’s a very specific statute.

It carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, and the prosecutors in the case recommended 18 months. That leniency is because she admitted to the wrongdoing, and that she knew it was wrong at the time, and because she assisted in ongoing investigations.

Which you would know, if you read the article.

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Agree - Pretty sure that conspiracy against the United States is only a crime in the United States.

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I’m pretty sure that other 1st world governments do have their own anti-conspiracy laws, as well.

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Oh - that little thing? :grin:

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In contrast, here’s a story about a law that Russia has but the U.S. doesn’t:

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Yet- somehow I - a US citizen living in the United States- can call Putin a fuckhead without fear of arrest?

Inconceivable!

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Even more mind-blowing, I regularly call the current occupant of the White House names (e.g. “Putin’s #1 Fanboi” ) without getting fined.

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Don’t think he’s not trying to change that!

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That’s FARA. She wasn’t charged with that.

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Often the Lèse-majesté laws protect foreign heads of state.

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FFS, you can read the charges themselves right here:

18 USC 371, 951

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Technically @Keith_McClary is correct and you are mistaken.

FARA is 22 USC 611, this is 18 USC 951

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Funky Cold Butina Put on Ice in US For 18 Months

Here is a short video I put together to show Maria Butina connections with the NRA & GOP https://youtu.be/IKzx8VBUquc) youtu.be/IKzx8VBUquc

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I think Trout is right. Wow, that one is even more “catch-all”.

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You’ve got it backwards, chief.

18 USC 951 makes more sense, frankly, than FARA. Her primary activities were related to financial activities with a private organization, not with government or political entities. Yes, she compromised a Republican operative, but he didn’t hold office while she was, um, compromising him.

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She was acting at the behest of the Russian government-- not just a foreign principal.

would seem to cover both FARA and 18 USC 951, but footnote 3 implies that they are one and the same.