Yes, spy. You haven’t read up on any of it have you?
Maria Butina is a Russian agent who works under the supervision of Aleksander Torshin. Her mission was to infiltrate Republican and Conservative organizations in order advance the interests of Russia. As part of her infiltration and cultivation of the NRA, several of it’s members met with ranking Russian government officials, in which she had this to say about that.
“we should let them express their gratitude now, we will put pressure on them quietly later,”
Her boyfriend, Paul Erickson, (whom by the way, when his home was raided, a note that said this was found: “How to respond to FSB offer of employment? ") with the help of Maria Butina attempted create back channels to the Trump campaign
“I’m now writing to you and Sen. Sessions in your roles as Trump foreign policy experts / advisors. […] Happenstance and the (sometimes) international reach of the NRA placed me in a position a couple of years ago to slowly begin cultivating a back-channel to President Putin’s Kremlin. Russia is quietly but actively seeking a dialogue with the U.S. that isn’t forthcoming under the current administration. And for reasons that we can discuss in person or on the phone, the Kremlin believes that the only possibility of a true re-set in this relationship would be with a new Republican White House.”
Paul Erickson
Not only back channel communication to the Trump Campaign, but GOP officials
“Unrelated to specific
presidential campaigns, I’ve been involved in securing a VERY private line of communication
between the Kremlin and key POLITICAL PARTY 1 leaders through, of all conduits, the [GUN
RIGHTS ORGANIZATION].”
With the help of Paul Erickson, she cultivated contacts, that she believed would have the ear and influence of Trump.
Basically, the NRA was a stepping stone, to gain influence on Republicans, in order to influence US Policy towards Russia.
This whole thing is just mind boggling to me. A Russian spy infiltrates the NRA, in order to create contacts with American politicians, in order to influence US policy, and Conservatives just shrug it off.