Rep. Rohrabacher, ‘Putin’s Favorite,’ Dined With NRA Spy In D.C.

Rep. Rohrabacher, ‘Putin’s Favorite,’ Dined With NRA Spy In D.C.

Reprinted with permission from Shareblue.

 

Two years after meeting alleged Russian spy Mariia Butina in Russia, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) dined with her at a fancy French restaurant in Washington, D.C. To many, the news of the additional meetup adds to suspicions that Rohrabacher may have a special connection with Russia.

In February 2017, Rohrabacher and Butina dined together at Bistro Bis, an upscale restaurant a few miles from the U.S. Capitol building, according to ABC News. The event was part of Butina’s plan to arrange “friendship and dialogue dinners” with influential Americans.

Rohrabacher’s office confirmed he attended the dinner with Butina, who was recently indicted for conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government. Rohrabacher sought to downplay Butina’s importance at the dinner, claiming she “was arranging chairs at a dinner, a gopher.”

Trump used a similar tactic when high-profile campaign aide George Papadopoulos was indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller, calling him a “coffee boy.”

In 2015, Rohrabacher met with Butina in St. Petersburg, Russia, as part of a plot allegedly in coordination with Alexander Torshin, an influential deputy governor of the Russian central bank.

At the time Rohrabacher was confronted with the first known interaction with Butina, Rohrabacher claimed Butina’s arrest was part of a conspiracy by a mythical “deep state” intended to undermine Trump’s relationship with Russia.

The 2017 meeting came weeks after Rohrabacher hosted a black-tie inaugural party where Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was in attendance. That party “caught the attention of counterintelligence officials at the FBI,” according to the Washington Post.

Rohrabacher’s history of unusually friendly stances toward Russia earned him the nickname “Putin’s favorite congressman.”

The Orange County congressman has regularly defended Russia against accusations of criminal activities during the 2016 election, even as U.S. intelligence agencies declared Russia a culprit. Rohrabacher accused America’s intelligence community of lying and embraced a debunked conspiracy theory that the stolen emails were an inside job.

Rohrabacher’s ties to Russia are so troubling that even fellow Republicans, including House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, have said they “think Putin pays” Rohrabacher.

Just days after the Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian agents for election crimes, Rohrabacher said, “We can’t blame Putin.”

During California’s primary campaign this year, Democratic candidate Harley Rouda campaigned that voters should elect him to, “Piss off Putin.”

Rohrabacher’s continued connection to Russian scandals may be having an impact in his district. As far as fundraising goes, Rouda is raising more dollars than Rohrabacher, and Rouda is leading in the latest polls.

If history is any indication, as investigations into Russia’s untoward influence in American politics continues, it seems likely that links to Rohrabacher will continue to emerge.

Published with permission of The American Independent.

Start your day with National Memo Newsletter

Know first.

The opinions that matter. Delivered to your inbox every morning

How A Stuttering President Confronts A Right-Wing Bully

Donald Trump mocks Joe Biden’s stutter,” the headlines blare, and I am confronted (again) with (more) proof that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee hates people like me.

Keep reading...Show less
Trump at Trump Tower

Former President Donald Trump at Trump Tower in Manhattan

NEW YORK, March 25 (Reuters) - Donald Trump faces a Monday deadline to post a bond to cover a $454 million civil fraud judgment or face the risk of New York state seizing some of his marquee properties.Trump, seeking to regain the presidency this year, must either pay the money out of his own pocket or post a bond while he appeals Justice Arthur Engoron's February 16 judgment against him for manipulating his net worth and his family real estate company's property values to dupe lenders and insurers.

Keep reading...Show less
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}