Russia calls arrest of alleged agent a ‘political put-up job’

Russia’s foreign ministry on Wednesday claimed that the arrest of alleged agent Maria Butina is a “political put-up job.”

“According to a statement on the website of the US Justice Department, she is charged with conspiracy to act as an agent of Russia without prior notification,” the foreign ministry’s Twitter account posted.

{mosads}“It looks as if the FBI, instead of carrying out their responsibility of fighting crime, is implementing a political put-up job set to it by forces that are whipping up anti-Russia hysteria in the US,” a second tweet read.

#Zakharova: We are dismayed by the reported arrest of Russian citizen Maria Butina in the US on July 15. According to a statement on the website of the US Justice Department, she is charged with conspiracy to act as an agent of Russia without prior notification

— MFA Russia (@mfa_russia) July 18, 2018

#Zakharova: It looks as if the FBI, instead of carrying out their responsibility of fighting crime, is implementing a political put-up job set to it by forces that are whipping up anti-Russia hysteria in the US

— MFA Russia (@mfa_russia) July 18, 2018

Butina, 29, was arrested Monday and charged with conspiring to work for the Russian government by infiltrating politically influential organizations, without registering as a foreign agent.

A grand jury indicted Butina on the charges on Tuesday.

The Department of Justice alleges that Butina established relationships with the National Rifle Association and conservative politicians from 2015 to 2017, under the direction of a “high-level” Russian official.

She allegedly sought to create “back channel” lines of communication between Russia and U.S. officials.

— This report was updated at 11:31 a.m.