Later in 2015, she attended Walker's kick-off political rally in Wisconsin and a town hall for candidates in Las Vegas, where candidates Senator Marco Rubio and Trump were speaking. A Walker spokesman said on Tuesday that there were thousands of people at the convention and that 'many of them approached the governor and asked to say hello and take a photo with him'.

In a social-media post, Butina wrote that she met Walker and was surprised when she was able to exchange a few words in Russian with the Wisconsin governor, who was preparing a bid for the presidency and leading in polls. In March 2015, court documents show that she and Erickson exchanged emails about a special 'diplomacy' project, aiming to use the organisation to influence the Republican Party, which Butina predicted would win control of the White House.Īt the group's annual convention in Nashville that year, which featured a dozen presidential hopefuls, they mingled with headliners in a VIP green room, according to a person who was present. The NRA gave Butina a springboard into the world of Republican politics.

In an April letter to Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat, an NRA official said that other than membership dues, Torshin 'has not made any contributions and is therefore not a member of any major donor program'. The NRA, which spent millions more to support Trump than any previous presidential candidate, has denied accepting funding from Butina or Torshin.

Maria butina