Changes

U.S. intelligence had Butina on its radar by spring 2015, in part because she left an overt trail of open-source intelligence documenting her contacts with major conservative figures at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the [[National Rifle Association]] and the libertarian Freedom Fest, starting in 2013.

U.S. intelligence had Butina on its radar by spring 2015, in part because she left an overt trail of open-source intelligence documenting her contacts with major conservative figures at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the [[National Rifle Association]] and the libertarian Freedom Fest, starting in 2013.

Despite the government’s efforts to paint Butina as a Russian spy attempting to infiltrate [[Republican]] circles she was never investigated by the [[Mueller Team]]. Further, the FBI did nothing to stop Butina from meeting with high level Republican and conservative figures. The FBI didn’t warn those conservative figures she had made contact with,  even though the FBI had Butina under [[surveillance]]. Unlike an associate of Russian operative Anna Chapman who mad contact with a major [[Democratic party]] donor close to [[Hillary Clinton]], the FBI acted swiftly to make arrest.<ref>https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/399970-the-real-maria-butina-scandal-fbi-could-have-prevented-it</ref>

Despite the government’s efforts to paint Butina as a Russian spy attempting to infiltrate [[Republican]] circles she was never investigated by the [[Mueller Team]]. Further, the FBI did nothing to stop Butina from meeting with high level Republican and conservative figures. The FBI didn’t warn those conservative figures she had made contact with,  even though the FBI had Butina under [[surveillance]]. Unlike an associate of Russian operative Anna Chapman who mad contact with a major [[Democratic party]] donor close to [[Hillary Clinton]], the FBI acted swiftly to make arrest.<ref>https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/399970-the-real-maria-butina-scandal-fbi-could-have-prevented-it</ref>