US authorities should investigate allegations that the Kremlin has used the National Rifle Association (NRA) to funnel money to candidates in American elections, Senator Robert Menendez said on Wednesday in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Federal Election Commission (FEC) chief Caroline Hunter.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th December, 2018) US authorities should investigate allegations that the Kremlin has used the National Rifle Association (NRA) to funnel money to candidates in American elections, Senator Robert Menendez said on Wednesday in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Federal Election Commission (FEC) chief Caroline Hunter."It is critical that the American people fully understand the depth and breadth of the Kremlin's reach within our democratic institutions, including whether the Kremlin funneled money to the NRA during the 2016 or 2018 elections," Menendez said in his letter.
Menendez urged the FBI and FEC to investigate whether any US candidates or their aides "were aware of, or helped facilitate, the flow of Russian money" to election campaigns.
The senator's call for a probe into purported links between Moscow and the NRA marks the latest in a series of US allegations of Russian meddling in American elections. Moscow has repeatedly denied such accusations in the past, saying the charges are politically motivated and aimed at fueling anti-Russia hysteria.
In his letter to Wray and Hunter, Menendez noted that media reports have alleged that Russian national Maria Butina, a gun rights advocate who is detained in the US on suspicion of acting as a foreign agent, cultivated close ties with the NRA in order to influence American politics. Russian officials have dismissed the charges against Butina as absurd and have called for her immediate release.
Butina is reportedly expected to plead guilty on Thursday to charges of conspiring to act as an unregistered foreign agent in exchange for a reduced sentence. She previously pleaded "not guilty" to the charge, insisting she was innocent, though she later requested a change of plea hearing after being detained for since July without bail, mostly in complete isolation.
The Russian Embassy on Wednesday reiterated Moscow's call for Butina's immediate release. The embassy also pointed out that Butina has endured harsh treatment, noting she has been held in isolation for 22 hours a day and demanding that US authorities begin to treat her "humanely."
