Maria Butina provided Russia ‘immense’ value after infiltrating the top levels of America’s right-wing politics: Prosecutors

Prosecutors are looking at an 18-month prison sentence for Maria Butina. Butina, who was a Russian gun rights activist was convicted for attempts to infiltrate the National Rifle Association and influence policy.

"While Butina was not a traditional spy or trained intelligence officer, her actions bore 'all the hallmarks' of an intelligence operation to target powerful individuals in a future presidential administration for recruitment later, prosecutors wrote," a report from The Washington Post said.

"The value of this information to the Russian Federation is immense,” prosecutors wrote. “Such operations can cause great damage to our national security by giving covert agents access to our country and powerful individuals who can influence its direction.”

Butina's sentencing is set for April 26 before U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of the District in Washington.

Read the full report here.