Scott Walker says his interaction with accused Russian spy Maria Butina was brief
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Published 10:01 a.m. CT July 18, 2018 | Updated 10:26 a.m. CT July 18, 2018
Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday he talked only briefly with a woman now accused of being a Russian spy, saying he had his photo taken with her just as he does with others who say they are supporters.
"As we go to events, we meet people, they introduce themselves, often they ask for a picture," Walker told reporters during a stop in Appleton. "That's not a meeting. A meeting is where you sit down in a room and have a discussion."
Walker was referring to his interaction with Maria Butina, who was indicted this week for conspiring to interfere with U.S. politics and advance Russian interests.
Walker posed for a photo with her at a National Rifle Association meeting in Tennessee in 2015. In the photo, Walker stood between Butina and Alexander Torshin, who is not named in the indictment but is the "Russian official" who gave Butina orders as part of the conspiracy, according to the New York Times.
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RELATED: Scott Walker met with woman now charged in Russian plot during his presidential bid
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The exchange with Butina and Torshin occurred in a VIP area of the NRA event, according to the Washington Post.
Read more: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2018/07/18/scott-walker-says-exchange-accused-russian-spy-butina-brief/795134002/
Would like for reporters to keep asking questions about this meeting.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/she-was-like-a-novelty-how-alleged-russian-agent-maria-butina-gained-access-to-elite-conservative-circles/2018/07/17/1bb62bbc-89d2-11e8-a345-a1bf7847b375_story.html?utm_term=.da0427d9ee83
................Maria Butina, who was indicted this week on charges of being a covert Russian agent, struck up friendships with the influential leaders of the National Rifle Association and the Conservative Political Action Conference, touting her interest in U.S. affairs and efforts to promote gun rights in Vladimir Putins restrictive Russia. She sidled up to GOP presidential candidates, seeking first an encounter with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and then, after his rising candidacy stumbled, with Donald Trump.
...............................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. A Walker spokesman said 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.
Later in 2015, she attended Walkers kickoff political rally in Wisconsin and a town hall for candidates in Las Vegas, where candidates Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Trump were speaking. She also helped arrange a meeting for Torshin in St. Petersburg with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), who was visiting with a congressional delegation on a trip cited in court filings..............................
elleng
(130,156 posts)kacekwl
(6,994 posts)say, Thanks comrades.
UpInArms
(51,253 posts)Just sayin
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Gothmog
(144,005 posts)hibbing
(10,076 posts)DUgosh
(3,052 posts)rzemanfl
(29,540 posts)Crutchez_CuiBono
(7,725 posts)This lady really sticks out.
lsewpershad
(2,620 posts)to take a picture.
dalton99a
(81,091 posts)emulatorloo
(43,982 posts)hair′ trig`ger
n.
a trigger that allows the firing mechanism of a firearm to be operated by very slight pressure.
[181525]
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/hair-trigger
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)emulatorloo
(43,982 posts)Hopefully they can get this fixed.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)turbinetree
(24,632 posts)CatMor
(6,212 posts)SWBTATTReg
(21,859 posts)opportunity. There has to be a saying by now w/ when you need a Russian, simply look for a GOP representative, eh?
deminks
(11,006 posts)(snip)
Saying that she wanted to build more constructive relations with the traditionally hawkish Republicans, Butina noted the NRAs central place and influence in the party. She said she needed a $125,000 budget to fund her participation in GOP conferences. The American political operative provided her with a list of important contacts to meet.
A few weeks later, Butina was back in the US for the NRAs 2015 convention. Held in Nashville, Tennessee, it again gave her access to the most in-demand figures in the conservative movement. She and Torshin chatted with Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, who posed for a photograph with her and spoke a few phrases in Russian. In July, Butina attended the launch of Walkers presidential campaign.
The Kremlin seems to have been interested. Court filings said Butina wrote Torshin a memo about a political campaign event that detailed her private meeting with the same candidate at the NRA convention. Walker was not identified by name. Then came Butinas encounter with Trump at the Freedom Fest event in Las Vegas.
(end snip)
He spoke a few phrases in Russian with her. Where did the gov learn Russian? Did he know she would be there ahead of time?
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)blue-wave
(4,317 posts)You can never hide the truth forever. Time to pack your bags for Moscow!
BillyBobBrilliant
(805 posts)from being an ignorant, evil creep, Scotty-Boy.
BumRushDaShow
(127,331 posts)So when the current WH occupant is bragging about having a "meeting" while playing golf, then that isn't really a meeting? Right?
heaven05
(18,124 posts)maxrandb
(15,193 posts)was "brief" as well
sandensea
(21,530 posts)Premature ej***lation?
bucolic_frolic
(42,681 posts)yellowcanine
(35,692 posts)Inquiring minds want to know.
truthisfreedom
(23,113 posts)JustAnotherGen
(31,688 posts)*cannot be posted at DU as it isn't decent*
stonecutter357
(12,682 posts)HelenWheels
(2,284 posts)Like NRA gatherings.
tanyev
(42,363 posts)smb
(3,453 posts)hatrack
(59,446 posts)GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)olddad56
(5,732 posts)DiverDave
(4,877 posts)Accept the cash stuffed envelopes.
"Is money in envelopes" she whispers