Infamous ‘Spy’ Maria Butina Tears Into ‘Monster’ Republican Ex-Boyfriend

Maria Butina, the notorious Russian agent who admitted to working with her American ex-boyfriend to infiltrate U.S. political circles, is finally speaking out about her whirlwind romance with conservative operative Paul Erickson.

Five years after her confession—in which she admitted to trying to “establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over U.S. politics,” according to her plea deal—Butina is living large as a media personality and Duma member back in Russia. She was deported from the U.S. in 2019, after serving a fraction of her prison sentence for conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent. Since then, the 34-year-old has emerged as a prominent advocate for the Russian war effort in Ukraine, lambasted by some as a Kremlin propagandist.

In an interview with the Infamous podcast set for release Thursday—a transcript of which has been shared exclusively with The Daily Beast—Butina lamented the downfall of her five-year relationship with Erickson, who had allegedly helped the Russian agent establish connections with the National Rifle Association through his ties to the organization.

Read more at The Daily Beast.