WASHINGTON, March 28. /TASS/. Russian national Maria Butina, charged with conspiracy to act as a foreign agent in the US, has done everything asked under the plea agreement, her defense attorney Robert Driscoll told TASS.
He confirmed that the defense would argue for a time-served sentence. "Obviously it's in the Judge's hands. But we think she [Butina - TASS] has done everything asked under the plea agreement," Driscoll said.
He added that Butina was "doing well under the circumstances."
Judge Tanya Chutkan of the US district court in Washington said at a hearing on Thursday that Butina would be sentenced on April 26.
"We are happy to have a sentencing on the calendar. Obviously, the final sentence imposed will be up to the court. We'll make the best presentation we can. But we are happy to see the process move forward, we are happy to have cooperation from the Government to move things forward," Driscoll pointed out.
Butina case
Maria Butina, 30, was arrested in Washington DC on July 15, right before the Helsinki meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump. The US Department of Justice said that she was suspected of acting "as an agent of Russia inside the United States by developing relationships with US persons and infiltrating organizations having influence in American politics, for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian Federation."
On July 21, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov demanded in a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo that Butina be released as soon as possible. He also slammed all charges brought against her as fabricated.
On December 13, Butina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the US law governing foreign agents operating in the country and signed a plea agreement. The prosecution said at the time that the process of Butina’s cooperation with the investigation might take some time.