Thoughts And Prayers: The NRA, Russia And Trump... Bonus Track: Ollie North vs Wayne LaPierre

This morning, NPR reporter Tim Zak noted that on the same day Russian spy/saboteur Maria Butina, who has admitted to infiltrating the NRA on behalf of the Kremlin, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, Señor Trumpanzee, on whose behalf the Kremlin sent Butina to work on the NRA, spoke at the NRA convention in Indianapolis.

That the Butina/NRA case is redacted from the Mueller report indicates that the evidence she provided the FBI-- so that her sentence was 18 months rather than 18 years-- is part of the on-going investigation into the NRA. The Kremlin's goal was to exert influence on Trump and the Republican Party through the NRA and a US Attorney for the District of Columbia filing for her sentencing noted that her activities had "tremendous intelligence value" for the Russians along with the potential for "harm to the integrity of the United States’ political processes and internal government dealings, as well as to US foreign policy interests and national security."

The public document-- there is also a sealed one for the judge to see-- states that from 2015 to 2017 Butina was was a Russian agent working with Alexander Torshin, a Russian senator and Putin operative. "Under his direction," the document states, "the defendant provided key information about Americans who were in a position to influence United States politics and took steps to establish an unofficial line of communication between Russia and these Americans."

Butina and Torshin "sought to establish unofficial lines of communication between Russia and Americans having power and influence over U.S. politics and to use those lines of communication for the benefit of the Russian Federation." In April 2015, Butina and Torshin traveled to the U.S. to attend the annual NRA convention where she highlighted her experience as a gun-rights advocate in Russia and was introduced to influential members of the Republican Party, "one of whom [Trump? Scott Walker?] announced his Presidential campaign shortly thereafter." In her report, "she emphasized the fact that she was introduced to one of that candidate’s three advisors for matters concerning international politics."

By the end of the year she brought NRA officials to Moscow "as part of the conspiracy’s plan to establish the unofficial channel of communication... [T]he types of services the defendant provided to the Russian Federation are specifically of the type that that Russia would seek to use against the United States, and the United States is a primary target of these types of Russian operations. 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 had access to high-level donors to the NRA, to advisors to candidates "and sometimes to candidates themselves." Her work "involved building a rolodex of and information about powerful people who had, or were likely to get, access to and influence over the next presidential administration." According to the memo, Butina told Torshin that she was using her contacts in Trump's circle to help vet his secretary of state pick, that she "provided [Torshin] with the name of an individual she claimed was being considered for secretary of state... asked [him] to seek the input of the Russian government on the name she provided and told him, 'our opinion will be taken into consideration' in the United States." And Trump's choice for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, just happened to be... Putin's first choice as well. What a coinky-dink!



Last night, Mark Maremont, writing for the Wall Street Journal, didn't have anything to say about the Russian infiltration of the NRA but instead reported on petty NRA internal politics and leaders stealing petty cash from the organization. Wayne LaPierre is now at war with Oliver North. LaPierre told the NRA's board of directors he's "being extorted and pressured to resign by the organization’s president, Oliver North, over allegations of financial improprieties," not over the NRA's massive money laundering operation for the Kremlin on behalf of the Trump campaign but over LaPierre's spiffy $200,000 wardrobe.

In a letter sent to NRA board members late Thursday afternoon, Mr. LaPierre, the group’s CEO and executive vice president, said he refused the demand. Instead he called on board members to “see this for what it is: a threat meant to intimidate and divide us.”

...The behind-the-scenes brawl is taking place amid the gun-rights group’s big annual meeting, at which President Trump spoke Friday.

Insiders say matters will come to a head by Monday, when the NRA’s full 76-member board is set to meet.

...The dispute pits two high-profile conservative figures against each other. Mr. LaPierre has headed the NRA for close to 30 years. During his tenure, the group shifted from being a grass-roots organization to a nationally powerful advocacy organization with strong political sway when it comes to its core gun-rights message.

Mr. North is a conservative folk hero from his tenure in the 1980s on the National Security Council and his role in the Iran-Contra scandal. He became NRA president a year ago as the group searched for a higher-profile figure as its finances sagged after Mr. Trump’s election eased concerns about more gun regulations under another Democratic administration.

The NRA president must stand for reelection every year, but in recent years most presidents have served for two years. Mr. North’s first term is scheduled to end Monday.

I was hoping that on Monday we would find out all about what LaPierre was talking about when he wrote "a devastating account of our financial status, sexual harassment charges against a staff member, accusations of wardrobe expenses and excessive staff travel expenses." LaPierre also claimed that North was extorting him into resigning but that if he continues to support North's own tenure as NRA president, "North stated he could negotiate an 'excellent retirement' package for the NRA chief." Instead, just moments ago, a bitter and angry Oliver North announced-- via letter read to the assembled NRA members-- that LaPierre had won and that he (North) is not being renominated president.